A Thai national was killed, eight were injured and another 11 were among those being held hostage by Hamas militants during attacks on Israel.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara said Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has been following developments closely and instructed the Royal Thai Embassy in Tel Aviv to provide real-time updates, coordinate with the relevant authorities in Israel and be in contact with Thai nationals.
“The embassy is coordinating with authorities in Israel to confirm the following information on Thai nationals in Israel, which is one fatality, eight injured, and 11 people captured.
“The government prioritises protecting Thai nationals and calls for the cessation of violence and the immediate release of all innocent civilians,” he said at a press conference today.
He urged the media to cooperate and not to publish the names of the affected Thai nationals, as the situation continues to unfold and information is still being verified by the authorities on the ground.
Parnpree said the prime minister has issued an order for the Royal Thai Air Force to be on standby for the immediate evacuation of Thai nationals from Israel by air, as needed.
Meanwhile, Thai Ambassador to Israel Pannabha Chandraramya said clashes continued, particularly in the vicinity and around the Gaza Strip.
She said the Israel defence forces have prohibited people from leaving their premises and from entering the affected areas until they have gained full control.
At present, she said Israel’s airspace is still open, but all inbound and outbound flights have to coordinate closely with air traffic control.
“The Royal Thai Embassy is actively following the situation and stands ready to assist in every way possible,” she said adding that the embassy is in constant contact with the authorities in Israel to verify the number of Thai fatalities, injured and captured.
She said a number of those injured have been transferred to hospital.
At present, there are approximately 30,000 Thai nationals in Israel, and approximately 5,000 are in the Gaza Strip.
Thai nationals, including students, in other areas remain safe.
Getting victims out
Meanwhile, Srettha, who is on a five-day official visit to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and three ASEAN countries - Brunei, Malaysia, and Singapore said that the Foreign Ministry and Royal Thai Air Force are working closely to evacuate Thai nationals as soon as the situation allows.
“A flight can accommodate 423 people,” he wrote on X after he touched down at HKSAR today.
Earlier, Srettha said he had ordered the Royal Air Force to prepare Airbus A340 and C-130 to carry out the operation.
He said he would use all diplomatic channels to secure the release of the innocent Thai victims, who had no involvement in the conflict.
According to international media, at least 550 civilians from both sides were killed while over 3,000 others were injured in the counter-attacks.
Meanwhile, the Royal Government Spokesperson Unit highlights the issue of a Cambodian student who was among the dead in the fighting between Israeli and Hamas forces, which broke out on Saturday.
"The Royal Government is deeply saddened to hear the news that one Cambodian student out of some 450 Cambodian citizens present in Israel died after sustaining injuries during the fighting between the Israeli and Hamas forces, which erupted on Oct 7," it said in a statement.
"The Royal Government would like to express our deepest condolences for the loss of our citizen and extend our deepest condolences to the bereaved family," it added.
In a voice message, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet called on all Cambodian citizens there to be extra vigilant.
The Cambodian Foreign Ministry has issued a statement condemning all forms of violence and terrorism.
- Bernama
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