The Thai embassy in Tel Aviv has asked the Israeli government to move Thai workers 10-20 kilometres away from the Gaza Strip to ensure their safety after a farm worker from Nan province was killed by a mortar shell on Wednesday.
Foreign Ministry Information Department chief Sek Wannamethee on Thursday identified the dead Thai worker as Narakorn Kittiyangkul, 36, a native of Pua district of Nan province.
He was severely wounded by a mortar shell fired from the Gaza on July 23. He was rushed to Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon by helicopter but succumbed to his wounds and died within an hour.
Narakorn's relatives had been informed and arrangements were being made to return his body to Thailand, Mr Sek said.
The Thai embassy in Tel Aviv had set up a centre to monitor the situation around the clock. So far 38 Thai workers had said they wanted to be moved to safe areas.
The embassy had contacted the Israeli Foreign Ministry and employers at 96 agricultural settlements where about 4,000 Thais are working, asking they be temporarily released from work and moved to a safer area 10-20 kilometres from the Gaza Strip.
Mr Sek said there was no plan to evacuate Thai workers from Israel at this stage. The embassy was keeping a close watch on the situation.
According to Thairath online, Sukanya Daramat, chief of the labour office in Nan, visited Narakorn's family at Ban Khang Hang in tambon Pa Klang of Pua district to inform them of his death. Narakorn's father, Bancha, 62, is blind and living with his relatives in a big family. His mother is dead.
Narakorn had worked in Israel for only one month before his death.
The Labour Department has meanwhile suspended the sending of Thai workers to six zones in Israel considered dangerous at the request from the Thai embassy there, employment chief Sumeth Mahosoth said on Wednesday.
The six dangerous zones are Eshkol, Bnei Shimon, Merhavim, Sdot Negiev, Hof Eshkelon and Sha'ar HaNegev where 4,276 Thai workers now work. They are about 20 kilometres from the Gaza Strip.
There are now 25,000 Thai workers in Israel.