The number of human trafficking victims rescued in Thailand is set to hit a record high this year, according to government data, with demand for cheap labour in neighbouring Malaysia causing a jump in the illegal trade.
Thai police have rescued 974 trafficking victims – mostly from Myanmar – for the year to date, compared to 622 for the whole of last year and a previous annual high of 982 in 2015, according to data released...by the Thai government's anti-trafficking division.
Thailand has come under scrutiny in recent years for slavery and trafficking, especially in its seafood and sex industries.
...[M]ost of the rescued trafficking victims were recruited by middleman and agencies for 20,000-30,000 baht (US$650-US$975) to work in factories in Malaysia....
The most recent case by sea was...when a fishing boat carrying at least 70 Rohingya Muslims was found stranded on the southern island of Koh Lipe....