In a sombre announcement made early today, Thailand’s Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin shared distressing news concerning the ongoing conflict in Israel. The episode involved the unfortunate death of a Thai national and the arrest of about 11 individuals amidst a brutal Hamas assault on Israel. Potential disruptions and delays posed by air travel restrictions remain a source of paramount concern, further complicating evacuation manoeuvres.
Srettha, who is slated to embark on an international trip spanning Sunday to Thursday, shared this disquieting information at Wing 6 in Don Muang. The official accounts, however, remain hazy regarding the exact number of Thai citizens injured in this strife-stricken Middle Eastern nation. Nonetheless, the Thai premier expressed his unwavering resolve to exhaust every diplomatic channel and option within his power to ensure the safe retrieval of the Thai victims.
He lay emphasis on the detainees’ innocence, commenting: “They have no part in any conflict.”
He further remarked that despite the tragedy, they had not yet ascertained the whereabouts of the Thai nationals impacted by the incident. As per the Bangkok Post, Israel’s stringent lockdown measures have made it incumbent upon its citizens to stay indoors.
The astute prime minister disclosed preparations by the Air Force to deploy transport planes to facilitate the evacuation of Thai citizens stranded in Israel, a scenario he understandably finds worrying. He has additionally instructed the Thai ambassador in Israel to keep the aircraft on high alert near Israel for swift evacuation whenever feasible, a task made challenging by the complete closure of Israeli airspace.
Regarding the planes’ holding capacity, Srettha shared that each flight could transport about 423 individuals. He estimated a population of approximately 25,000 Thai workers in Israel, out of which nearly 5,000 find themselves in lockdown-infected areas.
Interestingly, Deputy Foreign Minister Jakkapong Sangmanee was not part of Srettha’s travel party. The prime minister preferred him to stay in Thailand to oversee the operations concerning the precarious situation unfolding in Israel.
For Srettha, the trip itinerary comprises stops in Hong Kong, Brunei, Malaysia, and Singapore. Back in January, Palestinian officials reported a distressing incident involving the deaths of nine Palestinians, including an elderly woman, in an Israeli military raid in the occupied West Bank.
With countless injuries and ambulances finding no access to the affected regions, the Palestinian health minister described the conditions in Jenin as severe. Stay updated with the latest developments and stories from The Thaiger on their new Facebook page HERE.
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