Thatchai Pitaneelaboot, Ph.D.
August 30, 2018Pol. Maj. Gen. Pitaneelaboot is currently the Acting Deputy of Police Region 2 in Thailand, and also an Associate Professor of Criminology and Economic Crime at the Royal Police Cadet Academy. He obtained a Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from Sam Houston State University in Texas. From 2013 to 2015, he was Commander of Immigration Division 6, and in charge of southern Thailand. For over a decade, an influx of illegal immigration of Rohingya from Rakhine State in Myanmar in this area has posed a challenge to limited detention centers and support personnel, as well as safety of the local population. However, it became apparent that the Rohingya should not be seen as illegal migrants, but rather as victims of trafficking who were held hostage by and/or enslaved in the fishing industry. During his tenure as Commander of Immigration Division 6, Pol. Maj. Gen. Pitaneelaboot launched successful policy initiatives to eliminate human trafficking cases of Rohingya in southern Thailand.