By The Straits Times | Created at 2025-01-30 17:08:15 | Updated at 2025-01-30 23:10:09
6 hours ago
BANGKOK - Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said she was “elated” on Jan 30 at the release of five Thai hostages held in Gaza for over a year.
The Thais were abducted when Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked Israel on Oct 7, 2023 and were released as part of a hostage-prisoner exchange under the Gaza ceasefire deal.
The Israeli prime minister’s office named the five Thais released as Watchara Sriaoun, Pongsak Tanna, Sathian Suwannakham, Surasak Lamnau and Bannawat Saethao.
“Elated to get confirmation from our Thai Ambassador in Israel who informed me on the phone just now that five of our Thai nationals were indeed released today from Gaza,” Ms Paetongtarn said, in a statement in English published on several of her official social media accounts.
“The Thai Government, including everyone here in Thailand, have long been waiting for this very moment.”
She said the kingdom “deeply appreciates” the work done by Qatar, Egypt, Iran, Turkey and the United States to secure the hostages’ release, and thanked Israel for taking care of them.
In a separate statement, the Thai foreign ministry said the five would be taken to hospital for medical treatment.
“Thailand calls for the release of all the remaining hostages including a Thai national soonest, so they can safely return to their homeland and to their beloved families,” the ministry added.
Ministry spokesman Nikorndej Balankura told reporters the five would return to Thailand in the next 10 days.
“Though they seem to be in good health, they have been in captivity for 15 months,” he said.
“It really depends on their physical conditions as well as paperwork which is going to be done by our embassy. I would think they should be able to return within 10 days.”
A total of 31 Thais were taken captive when Hamas launched its attack on Israel, with 23 released by the end of 2023 and two confirmed dead in May 2024.
The Southeast Asian nation has about 30,000 citizens in Israel, most of them working in the agricultural sector, where they earn significantly higher salaries as farm labourers than they would at home. AFP
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