Three more Thais working in Israel have been killed since Hamas launched its large-scale attack on Oct 7.
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said yesterday the Thai embassy in Tel Aviv reported the Thai death toll from the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group has risen to 24. The number of Thais abducted and injured stood at 16 each, Mr Srettha said, before leaving the military airport in Don Mueang district, Bangkok, for Phitsanulok province.
He said the government would continue coordinating with various agencies to evacuate Thais as soon as possible.
The number of Thais showing their intention to return to Thailand had risen to about 7,000 as of yesterday, said the prime minister.
He thanked commercial airlines -- Thai Airways International (THAI), Nok Air and Thai AirAsia -- for their cooperation in bringing back Thais from Israel.
Mr Srettha said he personally contacted a private sector operator that had aircraft connected to China's airline to send an A340 aircraft to evacuate Thais. The plane could carry 300 Thais per flight.
He insisted Thailand has taken a neutral stance on the situation in Israel, saying the kingdom was not part of the conflict. He was duty-bound to work with all sides to protect the lives of Thais during this crisis.
The government's request for permission to pass the airspace of more than 10 countries for Thailand's repatriation operation is now expected to win approval in two days instead of 10 days as initially expected, he said. More updates on the evacuation operation are expected when the PM meets the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) later today, he said.
The Ministry of Public Health, meanwhile, said that of the 56 Thai people -- 55 men and one woman -- who returned to Thailand from Israel in the second batch on Friday night, two have received further care for their gun wounds while another eight were found to be suffering from mental conditions and will need extra care before they can go home.
The two injured workers were a 38-year-old man from Nakhon Phanom who was shot in the hip and a 26-year-old man from Khon Kaen who was shot in the pelvis, said Public Health Minister Cholnan Srikaew.
In preparation for the next repatriation flight arriving at U-Tapao Airport, a medical and mental health team in Rayong and Chon Buri are now ready for them, he said. The third repatriation flight, operated by Fly Dubai and transiting in Dubai, will land at U-Tapao at 7.25am today. From the airport, they will be transferred to SC Park Hotel in Bangkok.