BANGKOK. Five Thai workers who had been held hostage in Gaza for more than a year have returned home to Thailand, receiving an emotional welcome from their families at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport on Sunday.
The freed hostages—Sarusak Rumnao, 32, Watchara Sriaoun, 33, Sathian Suwannakham, 35, Pongsak Thaenna, 36, and Bannawat Saethao, 27—were released on January 30 as part of an exchange arrangement. Their arrival marked the latest effort to secure the safe return of Thai nationals caught in the conflict.
At the airport, the returnees were greeted with tears and embrace from their families. Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa and Israeli Ambassador to Thailand Orna Sagiv were also present to welcome them back.
“We are all very grateful and very happy that we get to return to our homeland. We all would really like to thank you. I don’t know what else to say,” Pongsak said during a brief news conference at the airport.
Foreign Minister Maris expressed his gratitude and reaffirmed Thailand’s commitment to bringing home the remaining Thai hostage. “The Thai government never gave up hope, and here is the result today. The tears of joy are our encouragement,” he said.
Following the news conference, the group promptly departed to reunite with their families in their respective hometowns in Thailand’s northern and northeastern regions.
This was the second group of Thai hostages to be released since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war. In November 2023, during an earlier ceasefire, 23 Thai nationals were freed in a deal negotiated between Thailand and Hamas, with assistance from Qatar and Iran.
Prior to their return, the five men underwent medical assessments at a hospital outside Tel Aviv. Four of them were joined by a relative earlier in the week, with travel arrangements covered by the Israeli government, according to the Thai Embassy in Tel Aviv.
Hamas militants had kidnapped 31 Thai nationals during the October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, making them the largest group of foreign nationals held hostage. Many of the Thai agricultural workers had been residing in communities near Israeli kibbutzim and towns, which were among the first to be overrun by Hamas.
The conflict has taken a heavy toll on Thai citizens in Israel. According to Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 46 Thai nationals have been killed, including two whose bodies were taken into Gaza.
There was no immediate update on the status of Nattapong Pingsa, the last Thai hostage still believed to be held in Gaza, nor on the retrieval of the bodies of the two deceased Thai workers.
Following their release, Foreign Minister Maris traveled to Israel to meet with the freedmen and discuss further efforts to secure the release of the remaining hostage. He also met with Israeli officials to seek support in recovering the bodies of the two deceased Thai citizens.
Thai laborers remain a significant workforce in Israel’s agricultural sector, benefiting from a bilateral agreement established a decade ago to facilitate their employment. Before the October 7 attack, foreign and Palestinian laborers comprised nearly half of Israel’s agricultural workforce.
The Thai government has continued diplomatic efforts to ensure the safety and repatriation of its nationals amid ongoing regional instability.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
- Venus L Peñaflorhttps://tutubi.ph/author/venusp/
- Venus L Peñaflorhttps://tutubi.ph/author/venusp/
- Venus L Peñaflorhttps://tutubi.ph/author/venusp/
- Venus L Peñaflorhttps://tutubi.ph/author/venusp/
