The government's investigation of human trafficking was wound up too quickly, according to the officer who led the probe, adding he now fears for his life after implicating senior military figures in the grim trade.
The main success in fighting human trafficking came last May as people-smugglers abandoned thousands of migrants at sea or in jungle camps after a Thai crackdown.
Officials were accused of orchestrating smuggling routes through the South, and on to neighbouring Malaysia.
Pol Maj Gen Paween Pongsirin headed the police investigation which uncovered camps on the Thai-Malaysia border where victims were held in appalling conditions until relatives paid for their release.
Many bodies were discovered buried in mass graves, sparking concern at home and abroad.
But the investigation has officially been closed and junta officials trumpeted the crackdown as evidence they were serious about pursuing traffickers regardless of their connections.
But Pol Maj Gen Paween said Wednesday the shutdown came too soon.
"The case is not completely finished, there are more people involved because this problem has accumulated for a long time," he said.
According to his personal, current tally, more than 90 people have been arrested over human trafficking, including senior army Maj Gen Manas Kongpan who is charged with being a key player in the trade.
A second army officer has also been detained, while two others and a navy official are still on the run. A sixth military official - an army officer - recently died, he said.
"There are existing threats against me" linked to his unit's pursuit of military figures, Pol Maj Gen Paween added. Messages have been relayed to him that he "should be cautious".
He did not give any further details of the alleged threats.
The high-profile police investigator said his unit had been disbanded and he himself was recently transferred to anti-insurgency duty in the three southernmost provinces, a posting he is reluctant to take up because of the military's significant influence there.
Security forces are attacked on a near-daily basis in the southernmost provinces and it is seen by many officers as a hardship posting.
Thailand has long been a hub for the trafficking of persecuted Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar, who in recent years have been joined by Bangladeshi economic migrants.
With the monsoon ending, rights groups warn that boats are likely to set sail over coming weeks.
Despite last year's crackdown, Thailand remained stuck at the lowest tier of countries on the US Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report. There is hope the May crackdown will see the country promoted next June.
