Thai Embassy in Israel puts consular services on hold
The Royal Thai Embassy in Tel Aviv on Monday announced on its Facebook page that its consular section will be closed from Monday (October 9) until further notice.
The closure is due to the ongoing war in Israel and the urgency to help Thai nationals in distress, the embassy said, adding that embassy officials will prioritise assisting Thais until the situation improves.
This means that consular services including passport, civil registration, ID card, and visa procedures will not be available at the embassy from Monday onward.
On Sunday night, the Embassy posted a link to an online questionnaire (in Thai) for Thais in Israel who wish to return home. Respondents are urged to answer every question and are reminded that the evacuation to Thailand could affect their benefits in Israel, as well as returning to work there in the future.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Sunday that Royal Thai Airforce planes would be ready for an evacuation mission in 24 hours, but the return to Thailand would be purely voluntary.
The embassy has officially confirmed that two Thai workers were killed and 11 captured in Saturday’s surprise attack by Hamas militants on Israeli towns near the Gaza Strip.
Eight other Thais have been injured, two of whom are in critical condition.
Around 30,000 Thais reside in Israel, with around 5,000 of whom living near the conflict areas in the Gaza Strip.
