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The bodies of another 10 Thai workers killed by Hamas terrorists in Israel are being flown back to Thailand and will arrive on Wednesday.

Another 281 Thai evacuees were also scheduled to arrive home on Tuesday night.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement issued on Tuesday that the Thai embassy in Tel Aviv had arranged for the 10 Thai victims to be carried on EI AI flight LY083, departing Israel at 8pm on Tuesday (1am Wednesday Thai time) and arriving at Suvarnabhumi airport about 12.40pm on Wednesday. 

Fifteen other Thais who were killed arrived home on two earlier flights. 

Those arriving on Wednesday are all male. They were identified as Jakkaphong Chantharasena, Sattawat Pia-iea, Pithak Thorlaeng, Wutthiphat Wisetdonwai, Jaroon Chartdamdee, Somkhuan Phansa-ard, Prinya Taemklang, Nanthawat Pinjai, Tu Sae Lee and Bancha Datchathuyawat.

Thirty-two Thai workers have been reported killed during the Hamas-Israel conflict, with another 22 abducted by Hamas and 19 injured. The bodies of eight Thai workers slain in Israel arrived on Oct 20 and seven more arrived on Oct 26.

The ministry statement said two more groups of Thai evacuees would arrive at Suvarnabhumi airport on Tuesday night.

Arkia Israeli Airlines flight IZ593 with 211 Thais was due at 7.20pm and EI AI flight LY085 with 70 Thais was expected at 11pm.

Rights groups call on PM Srettha to act on his statement that ‘problematic’ law needs amending

The courts have handed down 100 rulings, including 79 convictions, in royal defamation cases since the use of Section 112 of the Criminal Code was revived two years ago, rights groups said on Tuesday.

Most of the cases stemmed from defendants’ participation in pro-democracy demonstrations and political expression, including online posts, said a report by the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), Union for Civil Liberty and Internet Law Reform Dialogue (iLaw).

According to information compiled by TLHR, between Nov 30, 2021 and Oct 30 this year, courts of first instance have ruled in cases involving 100 defendants charged under the lese-majeste law. Of these, 79 were found guilty and 21 were acquitted. The longest prison sentence imposed was 28 years.

“The number of lese-majeste convictions is again reaching alarming levels,” said Adilur Rahman Khan, the secretary general of FIDH.

“Thailand’s prime minister said he is in favour of amending Article 112 of the Criminal Code, so he should do whatever is in his power to ensure that its enforcement does not violate human rights,” he said, referring to earlier statements made by Srettha Thavisin.

According to data from TLHR to Sept 30 this year, 1,928 people have been prosecuted for political participation and expression since the beginning of the Free Youth protests in July 2020. At least 258 are facing charges under Section 112 and 130 have been charged with sedition under Section 116.

Twenty of those facing charges under Section 112 are under the age of 18. Some of the most prominent pro-democracy activists, such as human rights lawyer Arnon Nampa, face prosecution in multiple cases, which could result in prison terms of up to 300 years.

Section 112 imposes jail terms for those who defame, insult or threaten the King, the Queen, the Heir to the throne or the Regent. Persons found guilty face prison terms of three to 15 years for each count.

Anyone can file a Section 112 complaint and police are obliged to investigate it. One tactic frequently used by royalists is to file a complaint in a province hundreds of kilometres from the residence of the accused. Defendants are then forced to travel to the province where the complaint was filed to attend all their court hearings.

At least 16 people charged with lese-majeste are currently detained: one awaiting trial; two children detained at the Children Observation and Protection Center; 10 appealing their cases; and three serving their prison sentences.

Most of those who have been found guilty of lese-majeste since November 2021 are not currently imprisoned because they were either granted bail pending appeal or had their prison sentences suspended.

The activist groups have urged the government to amend Section 112 to bring it into line with the country’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

The current wave of lese-majeste prosecutions began in late November 2020 after then-prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha pledged to enforce “all laws and articles” against leaders and protesters who participated in the pro-democracy rallies that were sweeping the country.

During many of these demonstrations, protesters broke a longstanding political taboo by directly criticising the monarchy and calling for reforms of the institution.

“We recall the remarks made by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin on April 6 2023, in the lead-up to the May 14 general election, that Article 112 ‘is problematic in its enforcement’, and that it ‘needs to be reviewed … so as to prevent it from being used as a political tool’,” the rights groups said in a statement.

“FIDH, TLHR, UCL, and iLaw also reiterate their calls on the Thai government to reverse many of the previous administration’s repressive policies and actions, including by refraining from carrying out arrests, prosecutions, and detentions of individuals for the peaceful and legitimate exercise of their fundamental right to freedom of opinion and expression.”

Foreign Affairs Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara on Tuesday began a visit to Qatar and Egypt to discuss help for Thais abducted by Hamas from Israel.

Mr Parnpree, a deputy prime minister, said before he left on Tuesday that he expected to return on Thursday. 

He planned to meet the prime minister and foreign affairs minister of Qatar in Doha later on Tuesday and the foreign affairs minister of Egypt in Cairo on Wednesday.

“The Thai government is opening all negotiation channels possible to coordinate with Hamas to seek the release of the (Thai) hostages as soon as possible,” Mr Parnpree said.

“I say again that all Thais in Israel to return home as soon as possible, because no one can even imagine how far the situation in Israel and the Gaza Strip will escalate,” he said. 

The foreign minister said the whereabouts of the Thai captives were unknown. 

On Monday Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said 22 Thais were confirmed being held hostage. Others could still not be contacted.

Saiyid Sulaiman Husaini, leader of an association of Shia Muslims in Thailand, wrote on Facebook that a Thai delegation discussed the release of Thai abductees with Hamas representatives at the office of the Iranian president in Tehran on Monday.

Thais who bought their own air tickets to return from war-torn Israel can now apply for reimbursement from the government, labour permanent secretary Pairote Chotikasathien said on Tuesday.

Since the conflict erupted on Oct 7, many Thais working there had left Israel. Some had been evacuated by the government and others bought their own air tickets.

Those who used their own money to return home could now submit requests for reimbursement for travel expenses, Mr Pairote said. 

In Bangkok, application could be made at the labour ministry’s centre to help workers and monitor the unrest in Israel. Elsewhere, requests could be submitted at provincial labour offices.

They would have to show proof of travel expenses incurred since Oct 7 – tickets and boarding passes, receipts or other documents confirming payment, ID cards, copies of passports/travel documents, copies of bank accounts. All costs must have been incurred while overseas.

Mr Pairote said the ministry was duty-bound to receive requests filed by all Thais, students and workers, who returned home from Israel because of the violence. The documents would be forwarded to the Foreign Affairs Ministry for consideration. the labour secretary said.

Applications could be followed up through the Department of Consular Affairs’ hotline, tel 02 572 8442.

“Labour Minister Pipat Ratchakitprakarn has expressed his concern for the safety of Thai workers in Israel. He has instructed ministry officials to take the best care of all Thai workers and provide urgent assistance to them, both in Israel and to those who returned home,” Mr Pairote said.

“It is government policy that all Thais in Israel should return home, as it gives priority to their safety. Relatives are urged to tell family members who decide to stay in Israel to change their minds and return home as soon as possible.”

Anyone wanting to return home could notify the embassy or go straight to the government shelter at David InterContinenal Kaufmann Street 12 hotel, Tel Aviv, 61501, Mr Pairote said.

The Public Health Ministry plans to announce a new regulation allowing those found in possession of less than 10 methamphetamine pills to be classified as drug addicts and eligible to enrol for treatment rather than being sent to jail, said the minister, Cholnan Srikaew.

Yesterday, Dr Cholnan revealed at a ministry meeting on drug suppression operations during the 2024 fiscal year that the ministry will redefine the term drug addicts to include patients with a history of substance abuse and will attempt to send them to rehabilitation.

The announcement is part of an overall plan to better deal with drug abuse in the kingdom.

Dr Cholnan said the plan also aims to connect local clinics with major hospitals to aid with treatment processes, including providing easier service access for drug users.

He said the ministry has set up a committee to work with the Narcotics Control Board to amend the ministerial regulation.

The process is expected to be completed in December.

The ministerial regulation will state that anyone who is found to possess over 10 methamphetamine pills will be seen as a drug dealer, while those who possess less will be considered drug users.

Dr Cholnan said the 10 methamphetamine pill number is based on a general drug package, which consists of 10 pills.

However, an investigation is still required to determine if people with less than 10 pills are drug dealers or not.

The ministry will also open small Thanyarak Hospital branches across all of Thailand’s provinces to treat narcotic drug users.

He said 146 community hospitals want to participate in the project, which will begin on Dec 1.

The ministry will also create more psychiatric wards in every state-run provincial hospital, Dr Cholnan said.

At present, there are 69 psychiatric wards in 58 provinces, so the ministry will need to establish more psychiatric wards to cover all 77 provinces, he added.

CHIANG MAI: Residents of tambon Mae Hia are stepping up their opposition to a plan to extend Chiang Mai International Airport’s operating hours, saying many have yet to be compensated for damage caused by flights taking off and landing at the airport over the past five years.

According to the president of the Nimman Noradee Neighbourhood, Meena Chankaew, residents whose properties have been adversely affected by traffic to and from the airport will ask the Administrative Court to put the brakes on the plan to allow round-the-clock operations at the airport starting on Wednesday.

She said many residents have complained about the damage caused by the excessive noise and vibration from overhead traffic, but Airports of Thailand (AoT) has yet to come up with a solution to the problem.

Ms Meena, who lives next to the airport, said over the past five years, she has received about 20,000 baht in compensation for damages to her property, but nothing has been done to resolve the situation.

At a meeting with Mae Hia residents on Monday, AoT representatives and officials from Chiang Mai airport promised to roll out a number of measures to address local residents’ concerns.

They agreed to set up a fund to compensate residents for any damage that may be caused by the extended operating hours, offer hearing tests to local residents in affected areas and put up sensors to measure noise from the airport.

They also pledged to open a shop in the airport to showcase products made by local residents.

However, Ms Meena said they failed to explain how affected residents can access the compensation fund, adding local residents want the AoT to carry out a new environmental impact assessment (EIA) on 24-hour operations, as the original EIA for the project, which was approved in 2005, only allowed operations until 1am.

A fertility crisis could slash the Thai population in half over the next six decades, prompting the Ministry of Public Health to take serious action to put it into the national agenda to promote pregnancy.

Dr Cholnan Srikaew, Public Health Minister, said on Monday that every province risks suffering the effects of the changing age demographic.

On average, the fertility rate (TFR) for a Thai woman is 1.16, meaning one woman has about 1.16 children throughout her lifetime, except in Yala province, which reaches 2.27.

The declining TFR was first recorded in 1993 when TFR was measured at 2.1. It is in line with a decreasing number of births. During 1963-1983, the average was about one million births a year, but in 2021 the total of newborn babies was only 485,085, which was also lower than the death rate of 550,042, he said.

He said the main causes are associated with economic, social, educational and environmental problems, with only 10% due to health problems.

And if there are no lucrative measures, this year will be the first in which workers aged 20-24 years old will be outnumbered by retirees aged 60-64 years old.

That gap between the two groups will only grow wider and will lead to labour shortages, a greater dependence on the working group and a higher budget to take care of the health of the elderly.

“We have been working to promote the issue of pregnancy into the national agenda so that the government will do its job to invest in human resources development, including providing financial assistance to newborn babies and assistance for infertility problems,” Dr Cholnan said.

Dr Kua Wongboonsin of the College of Population Studies, Chulalongkorn University, said that the Thai population will fall to 33 million people in 2083, or half the current 66 million.

Those of working age (15-64 years) will drop from 46 million to 14 million, and the number of infants (0-14 years) from 10 million to one million. The number of elderly (65 years and up) will increase from eight million to 18 million, which will represent half the total population in 2083.