7 September 2022
Twenty-one agencies sign the national memorandum on child safe tourism
Government bodies, private companies and non-profit organisations signed a memorandum of understanding in Bangkok to advance the Child Safe Friendly Tourism Project as a formal partnership.
On 7 September 2022, Police General Thammasak Wichcharaya, Deputy Secretary-General to the Prime Minister for Political Affairs, presided over the signing of the memorandum of understanding advancing the Child Safe Friendly Tourism Project, held at the Government Complex Convention Centre in Bangkok.
The Office of the Permanent Secretary for Tourism and Sports and the Department of Tourism, together with nineteen further organisations, committed to working as a formal partnership across government, the private sector, non-profit organisations and stakeholders throughout the tourism industry. The stated aim is to strengthen confidence in Thai tourism, so that everyone staying in Thailand feels welcome and safe.
Thailand was placed in Tier 2 of the 2022 US Trafficking in Persons Report, yet risk factors that can lead to the sexual exploitation of children remained present in some destinations. Changing that picture requires cooperation across every sector: a tourism standard that protects children, backed by practical measures and clear guidance on how to apply them.
The partnership covers preventive measures and incentives, training programmes for staff in tourism businesses and for students, the development of related tourism standards, work to build recognition of the mark across the industry, monitoring and assessment of participating businesses, and extension of the programme to other kinds of business in the tourism supply chain.
The twenty-one signatories
- Office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Tourism and Sports
- Department of Tourism
- Office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Social Development and Human Security
- Department of Children and Youth
- Ministry of Interior
- Ministry of Labour
- Ministry of Education
- Ministry of Digital Economy and Society
- Royal Thai Police
- The Comptroller General's Department
- The Revenue Department
- Tourism Authority of Thailand
- Tourism Council of Thailand
- Thai Chamber of Commerce
- Thai Hotels Association
- Foundation of Child Understanding (FOCUS)
- ECPAT Foundation
- World Vision Foundation of Thailand
- Wattanaseri Foundation
- Rakdek Foundation
- A21 Foundation