Five Thai farm workers kidnapped by Hamas terrorists in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and released from captivity in Gaza on Jan. 30 arrived home in Bangkok on Sunday.
They were welcomed at Suvarnabhumi Airport by Thailand’s foreign minister and Israel’s ambassador, and were reunited with emotional family members.
The released men—Pongsak Thaenna, Sathian Suwannakham, Watchara Sriaoun, Bannawat Saethao, and Surasak Lamnao—spent 10 days in an Israeli hospital for medical evaluation.
Relatives of four of the former captives traveled from Thailand to Israel last week to meet their loved ones at Shamir Medical Center in Be’er Ya’akov and accompanied them home.
Their visit was coordinated by Israel’s Foreign Ministry, National Insurance Institute and Prime Minister’s Office, the Israel Defense Forces and the Thai Embassy.
Israel’s Interior Minister Moshe Arbel has granted all five residency status, according to Hebrew media reports.
Thailand’s government has pledged financial support, granting each former hostage a lump sum of 600,000 Thai baht ($17,700) and a monthly stipend of $900 until age 80 to prevent the need to return to Israel for work.
One Thai hostage remains unaccounted for. Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa affirmed continued efforts to secure the release of 35-year-old Pinta Nattapong.
Two other Thai citizens, Rintalak Suttisak, 43, and Sahaot Banawat, 30, were killed during the Oct. 7 attack, and their bodies are still being held by the terror group.
Since the Hamas-led attack, 46 Thai workers have been killed, with some also targeted by Hezbollah rocket fire from Lebanon. In total, Hamas took 251 hostages and killed approximately 1,200 people in Israel on Oct.7, triggering the Gaza war.
The release of the Thai hostages was not part of the Jan. 19 ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, under which 21 Israeli hostages and 566 Palestinian terrorists have been freed so far. The deal is expected to see 33 hostages and 1,900 prisoners released by its conclusion, though Israel reports eight of the hostages are deceased.
