Bangkok: Five Thai nationals, held captive by Hamas for over a year, arrived in Thailand on Sunday, reuniting with their families in emotional scenes at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport.
Dressed in winter jackets, the returnees were embraced by loved ones, overwhelmed with relief and joy.
“We are all deeply touched to come back to our birthplace … to be standing here,” said Pongsak Thaenna, one of the freed hostages. “I don’t know what else to say, we are all truly thankful.”
A Long Road Home
According to Israeli authorities, Hamas militants abducted at least 240 people, including Israelis and foreign nationals, during the October 2023 cross-border attack. The assault resulted in the deaths of 41 Thai nationals and the kidnapping of 30 Thai laborers. The first group of Thai hostages was released later that year, and efforts continued to secure the release of others.
Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa, who accompanied the hostages back from Israel, expressed relief at their safe return.
“This is emotional … to come back to the embrace of their families,” Maris said. “We never gave up, and this was the fruit of that.”
Thai Workers Caught in Conflict
Before the war, nearly 30,000 Thai laborers worked in Israel’s agricultural sector, making them one of the largest migrant worker groups in the country. Following the attack, close to 9,000 Thais were repatriated.
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Most of these workers hail from Thailand’s northeastern provinces, home to farming communities that rank among the country’s poorest regions. Many had sought employment in Israel for better wages, despite the risks of working in a volatile region.
One Still Missing
Thailand’s foreign ministry confirmed that one Thai national remains in captivity.
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“We still have hope and continue to work to bring them back,” Maris said, adding that efforts also include the repatriation of the bodies of two deceased Thai nationals.
