Two flights bringing 534 Thais from Israel today
Two repatriation flights are flying 534 Thai citizens from Israel, and are expected to arrive at Suvarnabhumi Airport on Saturday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Friday.
Flight IZ591 of Arkia Airline, carrying 214 Thais, will touch down at 2pm, while flight SG9011 of Spice Jet Airline will arrive at 4pm with 320 Thais on board.
The ministry added that an aircraft of the Royal Thai Air Force will depart Thailand on Saturday to pick up 140 Thais from Israel and return on Sunday. Another 311 Thais will fly back on an El Al flight on Sunday, but the arrival time is yet to be confirmed, the ministry said.
The government has launched a campaign to bring Thais back from Israel, most of whom went there for work, after Hamas militants launched an unprecedented attack on Israeli towns near the Gaza Strip on October 7.
So far, some 7,500 Thai workers have registered to return. The authorities are expected to fly 5,700 Thais back from Israel before the end of this month on 32 flights to be provided by the Thai Air Force and participating airlines.
From Monday (October 23), Thai authorities will arrange two flights per day, and another flight per day to bring them to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from where they can take a connection flight to Thailand.
Under this plan, up to 800 Thais daily can be brought back home from Israel, said the ministry.
The ministry has urged Thais in Israel who have not decided to return home to consider the situation carefully and make sure that they are in a safe location. Those who have registered to return but changed their minds should notify the Thai Embassy in Tel Aviv in advance so that their seats on the plane will not be wasted, it said.
