Five Thai hostages who were held captive in the Gaza Strip over a year-ago finally stepped onto home turf early Sunday morning. The five- Watchara Sriaoun, Pongsak Thaenna, Sathian Suwannakham, Sarusak Rumnao, and Bannawat Saethao-turned up at Suvarnabhumi Airport with hugs from relatives who had to repress tear drops.
Pongsak, 36, said, “We are all really thankful to be back in our birthplace.” Bannawat’s father, Somboon Saethao, was in joyful tears as he spoke about hosting a traditional Thai ceremony for his son. “I don’t think I want him to be far from home again,” he said, voicing relief that echoed through the families.
The five men, freed last month in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, as part of the ceasefire arrangement between Hamas and Israel that briefly brought an end to the relentless attacks by Israel against Gaza, had been accompanied home from Israel, relieved and tearful, saying, “We never gave up, and this was the fruit of that.” Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra also expressed her joy over their release and thanked Israel, Qatar, Egypt, Iran, Turkiye, and the United States for their roles in securing the men’s freedom.
Reporting from Udon Thani in northeast Thailand, where two of the returnees’ families live, Al Jazeera’s Tony Cheng said all five men seemed to be in good health. The government will continue to monitor them for a few months ahead to ease their transition back to normal life.
Cheng also reported the jubilation of Sriaoun’s family, specially his mother, who never lost hope for her son during the very uninformative crisis from both Thai and Israeli officials. His nine-year-old daughter said what everybody wanted to hear: she missed hugs from her father.
Of the 31 Thai hostages taken during the October 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, 23 were released last year. Two died in May. The Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed one Thai national is still believed to be captive in Gaza, and Minister Maris expressed hope for their eventual return.
Before the war broke out, there were about 30,000 Thai workers in Israels agricultural sector, one of the largest groups of migrant workers in the country. Almost 9,000 Thais have so far been repatriated – many from northeastern Thailand, a vast and poor region dotted by villages and rice fields.
