17-10-2023 (BANGKOK) The fifth wave of evacuations of Thai citizens from Israel has safely arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport at approximately 9 pm on Monday, October 16th, via El Al flight LY085, which had departed from Tel Aviv earlier that day.
The flight accommodated 244 passengers, primarily Thai workers, in addition to 30 Thai students studying in Israel. Their arrival was met with a heartfelt reunion with their eagerly awaiting relatives at the airport in Samut Prakan province.
One of the passengers, 28-year-old Saksit Wijitthongchai from Nakhon Ratchasima, shared his experiences on Monday. He revealed that he worked in a town situated just 30 kilometers from the conflict zone, where the sounds of gunfire and explosions persisted throughout the day. Living in a camp with approximately 60 other workers, they had been sleeping with weapons in hand for self-defense, especially after learning that 7-8 individuals from nearby camps had tragically fallen victim to attacks since the onset of the conflict.
The authorities have indicated that an additional 250 Thai nationals are expected to return on the LY085 flight on Tuesday around 7 pm, with 280 more Thais set to arrive on Wednesday at 3.30 am on flight TG 8951.
The Thai government initiated a comprehensive campaign to repatriate its citizens from Israel following an unprecedented attack by Hamas militants on Israeli towns near the Gaza Strip. To date, approximately 7,500 Thai workers have registered for repatriation, and the authorities plan to facilitate the return of 5,700 Thais from Israel by the end of this month, utilizing 32 flights offered by the Thai Air Force, Nok Air, Thai AirAsia, and India’s SpiceJet. As of now, 498 Thai workers have been successfully repatriated, and the number of Thai casualties resulting from the Israel-Hamas conflict has reached 29.
