Surprisingly, throughout the month hostage crisis, tens of thousands of Thais continued to flock to the coveted higher-paying agricultural and construction jobs in the Jewish state after the October attack. The hostages' desperate families have been waiting in anguish in this Buddhist-majority Southeast Asian nation, praying at temples and frantically trying to get officials to help them.
I want to see if his health is OK. I am worried about his health," she told Agence-France Presse while watching the news at their home in northeast Thailand's Isaan region.
The dead were identified as Sudthisak Rinthalak and Sonthaya Oakkharasri. Most of Thailand's hostages came from the dry, bleak, northeast Isaan region where unemployment is high, lives are rugged, and working in Israel is perceived to be quite lucrative. Thailand deliberately chose not to confront Hamas and the other Palestinian militants in public with threats and denunciations, and instead discreetly dealt with the problem behind closed doors.
Occasional stories appeared in Thai media but news updates were mostly low-key, spotty, and brief. When the Thai hostages eventually arrive safely in Bangkok, they will receive financial assistance, counselling, and other support, Thai officials said. Thailand said in June it would allow 5, Thais to fly to Israel to work for better-paying jobs in desert "safe areas" and "green areas" away from Gaza, and hopes to send 40, more.
On October 7, , Hamas and other Palestinian rebels killed more than 1, people including 41 Thais. They also took 31 Thais hostage. In an impressive diplomatic effort, 14 Thais were quickly released in November after a three-man delegation of Thai Muslim political and religious leaders did what other officials were unable or unwilling to do -- they flew to Iran and met the Hamas envoy in Tehran. Kamtathi said in an interview at the time. One of the 23 workers, Manee Jirachat, told Germany's Deutsche Welle news: "They [Palestinian militants] shot two of my companions in the head, just because there was no room left for more hostages" in the truck which took them away during the October attack.
