Thai Workers Flee Israel Amid Israel-Hamas Conflict

Thai agriculture worker harvesting vegetables during agricultural training (Flickr). 

The death toll of Thai citizens in the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas reached 24, according to Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin on October 15. While the exact number is unknown, Thai government officials fear that 14 Thai nationals are being held captive by Hamas fighters.

Israel has long been a destination for migrant workers, and among them, over 30,000 Thai nationals are  employed in diverse industries, predominantly in agriculture. Many of these workers send their earnings home to support their families, which simultaneously fuels the economies of their own countries. However, the recent escalation in tensions between Israelis and Palestinians has cast a grim shadow on the future of Thai workers, with reports indicating that besides Israelis, more Thais have been killed or kidnapped by Hamas than citizens from any other nation. 

The conflict has claimed over 4,200 lives and displaced over one million people during the past 10 days, and these numbers are only expected to rise as military operations show no signs of abating.

Thailand has remained neutral in the dispute thus far. The country’s Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister, Jakkapong Sangmanee, issued a statement last Sunday expressing his country's “deepest condolences to the Government and people of Israel on the unfortunate loss of lives and injuries from this inhumane and indiscriminate act.” According to Jakkapong, Bangkok's attitude is “neutral,” and the Thai government prefers “a solution that allows Palestine and Israel to coexist.”

Aside from its distance from the Middle East, the policy initiators of Thailand's cautious stance may hope to ensure the safe return of the abducted citizens. Prime Minister Thavisin raised the issue of kidnapped Thai nationals during his working visit with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and sought assistance from his Malaysian counterparts. While Malaysians have remained safe from the conflict, Malaysian government officials have made arrangements to repatriate five of their citizens in Palestinian territories. Both Thailand and Malaysia have historically supported the Palestinian cause and have no ties to the Israeli government.

Thavisin went on to say that Thai officials are scrambling to obtain more commercial aircrafts so Thai citizens can return home as quickly as possible. Thai Airways, Nok Air, and AirAsia are also collaborating with the government to arrange flights for Thai workers in Israel through airports in adjacent nations.

Nearly 6,000 Thai citizens are currently registered for evacuation from Israel. According to Defense Minister Sutin Klungsang, the Royal Thai Air Force has prepared five C-130 planes and one Airbus A340 for the operation, and the government is seeking additional aircraft for the emergency evacuation.