Experience of Thailand in gathering, evaluating, and using electronic evidence in handling human trafficking cases

Abstract

According to the U.S. National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), Thailand has the third largest percentage of Internet users spreading child pornography in the world (Nanchanok, 2020). This figure is also consistent with the results of a survey conducted by the Digital Economy Promotion Agency (DEPA) under the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society of Thailand, which showed that 60% of Thai children aged 8 to 12 are likely to be exploited online. It also indicates that Thai children are more likely to access pornography and be seduced by sexual abusers (DEPA, 2019). From that situation, as more criminals are using technology to commit human trafficking crimes, Thailand has taken special measures to collect electronic evidence, as well as conduct electronic investigations.