Thailand says 12 of its citizens killed in Israel, 11 abducted

By Reuters, AFP October 8, 2023 | 11:27 pm PT

A view shows a police station that was the site of a battle following a mass-infiltration by Hamas gunmen from the Gaza Strip, in Sderot, southern Israel October 8, 2023. Photo by Reuters

Thailand’s Foreign Ministry on Monday said at least 12 Thais have been killed in the ongoing unrest in Israel and that 11 more have been kidnapped.

"We are working to help all Thai citizens in Israel," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Kanchana Patarachoke told reporters.

She said eight Thais have been wounded since the war broke out when the militant group Hamas launched large-scale attacks across southern Israel on Saturday.

There are around 30,000 Thais in Israel, according to Bangkok’s Labour Ministry, with many working in agriculture.

Labor Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said Israeli forces have begun to move workers away from danger zones.

"There are 1,099 who have registered to return home," he said in an interview on Thai television. "We have about 5,000 labourers working in the fighting zone."

Mrs Kanchana said Thai air force planes were on standby to fly Thais in Israel home, though the date and other details of any evacuation are still being worked on.

More than 1,100 people have been killed min the conflict in Israel and Gaza, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warning of a "long and difficult" fight ahead.

Thailand’s Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin condemned the attack on Israel.

There are fears that Filipino and other Asian migrant workers may also have been caught up in the most intense fighting in Israel in decades.