Australia is backing Thailand's bid to counter human trafficking within its borders, with a call for greater regional Asian cooperation to stem the growing criminal trade in the region.
The call came during a regional symposium co-hosted by Thailand and Australia under the so-called `Bali Process', with its regional focus on people smuggling and trafficking.
Thailand is under intense international pressure especially from the United States to curb human trafficking and abusive labour practices for migrant workers.
In 2014, the US dropped Thailand's rating in its Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report to its lowest rating of Tier 3, after failing to show few signs of progress in its record on human trafficking and illegal labour.
The US says Thailand is both a source and destination country for trafficked labour in the region. This has been especially in the fishing and fish processing industries, as well as factories and farms. Rights groups say many of the foreign workers are exploited and paid very little as well as face the threat of violence.
"Human trafficking is a crime that affects millions of people worldwide," Australian Ambassador to Thailand, Paul Robilliard, told the symposium.
"After (trafficking in) illegal drugs, it's the biggest criminal industry in the world."
He said to combat human trafficking requires regional and global cooperation.
Australia's goal was to "prevent human trafficking, prosecute the perpetrators and importantly, and this should never be forgotten, protect and support trafficking people," he said.
Since 2003 Australia has spent $150 million in anti-trafficking initiatives, including legislation to criminalise trafficking in persons, setting up of a specialist Australian Federal Police (AFP) investigative team and a victims support program.
Visa arrangements were also made available for "suspected victims and witnesses to enable them to remain in Australia to support identification or prosecution processes".
Thailand remains anxious for the US to revise its view on Thailand's TIP rating, expected to be reviewed by mid-year, with a Tier 3 rating leaving the country open to non-humanitarian sanctions.
Thai Deputy Foreign Minister, Don Pramudwinai, said the aim of the current policy was to evade the Tier 3 rating.
"All efforts are really extended to this reaction, trying to get everybody in Thailand, all agencies to put their heads together to rid of all chronic issues," he told AAP.
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