Two hundred and fifty more Thais are expected to return home tonight as they flee from the ongoing Hamas-Israel conflict, while another 280 will arrive early Wednesday morning, according to ministry officials.
The Thai government has taken great preparations to prioritize the return of Thai nationals as swiftly as possible until the end of this month, as the Labor Ministry and the Royal Thai Embassy in Tel Aviv work to arrange and facilitate two to three flights taking up to 400 people per day.
Around 32 flights are scheduled by commercial airlines, bringing back approximately 5,700 people. Transporting that many people, however, can prove difficult as over 7,000 have requested repatriation while the conflict is likely going to escalate.
Some 7,540 Thais have registered at the embassy, of which 7,446 wish to return home while 94 prefer to stay in Israel.
Efforts to repatriate Thai nationals who were killed in Israel are also expected to be completed by next week, according to Labor Minister Phipat Ratchakitprakarn, as labor officials work to verify identities and nationalities.
He also mentioned that Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin is currently traveling to China to meet world leaders and arranging negotiations with several countries, including Saudi Arabia, to help secure the release of the 18 Thai nationals held hostage by the Palestinian militant group.
Currently, the death toll of Thai nationals from the Hamas-Israel conflict is at 28.
The Thai Embassy in Tel Aviv issued a statement Monday, announcing that there will be daily flights out of Israel starting tomorrow.
On Monday morning, around 130 people landed safely at Don Mueang airport thanks to the efforts of the Thai Air Force, followed by the arrival of 244 more by Monday night at Suvarnabhumi airport. They were the fifth group of returnees, including 33 Thai students from two universities who arrived on a special chartered flight.
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