11 Thai workers stuck at Gaza border appeal for help

A GROUP of 11 Thai workers appealed for help via video conference with a reporter as they are stuck in the war zone near the Gaza border and can constantly hear gunfire and explosions from a battlefield just 10 kilometres away from their shelter, Sanook.com said today (Oct. 10).

While Thais in Israel wait to be flown back home, many are able to communicate with their relatives via social media.

One of two persons from Nakhon Phanom in this group of 11 Thai workers still unable to leave the war zone, who identified himself as Mr. Charoenphon Kaewwichai, told the reporter that phone signal is not good but despite that managed to relate that they were sheltering in their employer’s house.

However this house, which is part of a “moshav” which is a type of cooperative farmers’ village, is not stable and is also in the red zone on the Gaza border.

Charoenphon added that it is really scary out there with gunfire and explosions ringing out all the time from the battlefield just 10 kilometres away from the house.

He urged the Thai authorities to help find a way to get them out of this red zone.

Although their employers gave them food and had coordinated with the Israeli military to evacuate them, they have been told it is still too dangerous to leave this area.

He added that he really wants to return to Thailand and is afraid of being hit by a bomb.

Earlier today Deputy Foreign Minister Chakkraphong Saengmanee said unofficial reports indicated that 18 Thai have now died in the Israel-Hamas war with 3,000 both legal and illegal workers having said they want to return home.

The air force and the ministry are closely coordinating to send an aircraft to Israel and fly Thais back home but would assess the situation again this afternoon while hoping to give some good news.

Although the airplane is fully ready to fly out to Israel it would not be able to do so if fighting escalates and assessment had to be made periodically, Chakkraphong added.

CAPTION:

Mr. Charoenphon Kaewwichai chatting with a reporter via video conference today, Oct. 10, 2023.  Photo: Sanook.com

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