The government of the country announced on Monday that twelve Thai people had died in the fighting between Israel and Hamas militants. At the same time, it was preparing an evacuation strategy for its citizens.
According to Kanchana Patarachoke, a spokeswoman for the foreign ministry, the Thai embassy in Israel learnt about the victims’ deaths via their employers.
Since the fighting broke out on Saturday when Hamas started a massive offensive, she said that eight more Thais had been injured and 11 had been kidnapped.
According to Bangkok’s labor ministry, there are over 30,000 Thai laborers in Israel, many of whom are employed in agriculture.
Israel’s military has reportedly started removing workers from dangerous areas, according to labor minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn.
According to Phiphat, 1,099 people have registered to go back home, according to a Thai television interview.
“In the fighting zone, we have about 5,000 laborers working.”
Although the date and other specifics of any evacuation were still being worked out, Kanchana, a spokeswoman for the foreign ministry, said Thai air force jets were ready to bring citizens home.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has issued a warning that the confrontation between Israel and Gaza has already claimed more than 1,100 lives and that it will be “long and difficult” to win.