Thai workers recount perilous experiences amid Gaza conflict

Thai workers, who recently returned from Israel amid the escalating Hamas attacks, conveyed their harrowing experiences, raising questions about the government’s decision to send workers to the conflict-ridden zones, notably areas near the Gaza Strip.

The first batch of 41 Thai workers landed in Thailand last Thursday on Israel Airlines flight LY 083, with 15 sponsored by the Thai government and the remaining 26 funding their own return. These individuals form part of the 7,000 Thais, out of 30,000 sent overseas, who were employed predominantly in Israel’s agricultural sector.

Tak native, Somma Saeja, returned home wheelchair-using after his left knee was hit during the Hamas onslaught. He narrated his ordeal, stating that his employer sheltered eight Thai workers at his residence during the attack on October 7. Later, while returning to their camp…