PUBLISHED: 21:45 on December 4, 2023.
The Foreign Ministry announced on Monday that a second class of Thai victims had been returned home after being freed by Hamas insurgents in the Gaza Strip.
At Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, people of the six farm workers rushed to embrace their loved ones.
Owat Suriyasri, 40, expressed his gratitude to the Thai and Israeli governments, saying,” I’m glad to be back.”
According to the Labour Ministry, one of the returnees suffered abdominal injury while being held by Hamas.
About 30,000 Thai laborers, mostly from the remote north, worked in Israel’s agriculture industry prior to the war, making them one of the largest migratory worker groups in the nation.
To give cash back to their families, some of whom are the only providers, many people traveled to Israel in search of higher pay. There have been 9, 000 Thai repatriations thus much.
According to the government, during the assault on Israel on October 7, Hamas attackers killed 39 Thais and kidnapped 32 Thai laborers. In the assault, over 1, 200 people were killed, and more than 240 were taken hostage.
Next year, the first group of 17 Thai captives returned, leaving nine still in prison.