2023’s top stories: Rescuing Thais from war zones a tough early test for new government

Rescuing Thai nationals stuck in war zones in two different parts of the world became a huge challenge for the new government.

First there was the horrific outbreak of hostilities in the Middle East after the militant Palestinian group Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, and soon after, in neighboring Myanmar, a battle broke out between the military government’s forces and rebel armed groups on October 27.

The ruling coalition, in power for less than two months, found itself facing these diplomatic and logistical challenges in less than two months after taking power.

The Middle East massacre

As of December 15, the war in Israel had killed 39 Thai workers and injured 18 others. Eight Thais are still being held hostage in Gaza, but 23 others have been freed, according to the Thai Foreign Ministry.

Of the total 25,962 Thai workers who were working in Israel, 9,475 were evacuated from…