3-11-2024 (BANGKOK) Thailand’s government has issued a formal protest to Israel following the deaths of four Thai agricultural workers in a Hezbollah rocket strike near Metula, demanding an immediate halt to worker placements in high-risk areas along the Israel-Lebanon border.
Foreign Affairs Minister Maris Sangiampongsa announced the diplomatic action on Saturday, whilst urging Thai citizens to avoid non-essential travel to Israel and neighbouring regions affected by the ongoing conflict. The ministry has instructed the Royal Thai Embassy in Tel Aviv to curtail the flow of workers into Israeli territory.
The protest comes amid reports that some Israeli employers continue to deploy Thai workers in dangerous zones on brief contracts, sometimes lasting just hours. “While we understand the economic motivations driving our citizens to seek employment abroad, the current situation in the Middle East is extraordinarily perilous,” Minister Sangiampongsa stated.
The victims of Friday’s attack have been identified as Akkapon Wannasai from Udon Thani, Prayat Pilasram from Buri Ram, and Kaweesak Papanang and Thana Tichantuek from Nakhon Ratchasima. Their deaths have cast a spotlight on the vulnerabilities faced by Thai migrant workers in Israel’s agricultural sector.
In Nakhon Ratchasima’s Sikhiu district, the family of 31-year-old Thana Tichantuek mourns their loss. His mother, Jarung, revealed that her son had planned to return home within a month, having dismissed her concerns about working in Israel with the fatalistic observation that “death can find us anywhere.”
The tragedy has prompted calls for enhanced worker protection and swift compensation for bereaved families. In Buri Ram, relatives of 42-year-old Prayat Pilasram have appealed to authorities to expedite the repatriation of his remains and provide financial support, as he was their primary provider.
