On July 25, 2022, Ms. Panadda Changmanee, Project Manager of ThaiWISE (Thai Women in Sweden Empowerment Project), and Ms. Thamonpat Cooperider, International Coordinator of Alliance Anti Trafic (ATT) paid a courtesy call on H.E. Mrs. Sirilak Niyom, Ambassador of Thailand to Copenhagen, at the Embassy to introduce ThaiWISE, which has an office in Malmo, a town in southern Sweden. The representatives discussed about the project’s activities in educating and assisting Thai women who intend to settle in Sweden, and improving the standards of Thai massage venues through the provision of business administration assistances and traditional Thai massage trainings. In this connection, the Ambassador suggested that the Project could also be beneficial to Thai nationals who reside in Denmark because, since a similar association aimed to raise the standard of Thai massage venues has already been established by Thai women in the country, an exchange between ThaiWISE and the local association could be possible. The Ambassador expressed readiness to help foster connections between ThaiWISE and associations of Thai nationals in Denmark, including a visit to the Project’s office in Malmo which situated not far from Copenhagen.

In the same occasion, Ms. Panada, and Ms. Thamonpat also informed the Ambassador regarding “Fostering Accountability in Recruitment for Fishery Workers (FAIR Fish) Project” implemented by PLAN international, an independent NGO focusing on children’s rights and equality for women. The objectives of the said project were to assist Thai SMEs in the seafood industries in attaining international standards in doing business, and to ensure equal employment for youth women in the industry. Fair Fish Project was planning to host a webinar between European seafood importers and Thai SME seafood exporters with the goal to educate Thai SMEs on EU regulations regarding labor standards in supply chains of seafood exports to Europe. The Ambassador also shared Thailand’s progress in the past 10 years to ensure labor rights in the Thai seafood industry through the amendments of related laws, the modernization of existing regulations, and the issuance of new measures, as well as the implementation of good labor practices (Seafood Good Labor Practices - GLP) by Thai private sectors. In this regard, the Ambassador believed that the aforementioned webinar would help raise awareness of Thai SME exporters on the issue, and the Embassy was ready to provide related information as requested.