All Thais in Lebanon evacuated to safe places

BANGKOK, July 19 (TNA) - All 100 Thai workers in Beirut, Lebanon's capital city, have been evacuated to safe places, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced here on Wednesday.

Thailand's Charge d’ Affairs in Saudi Arabia's capital of Riyadh Suvat Chirapant and Ambassador to Israel Kasivat Paruggamamont have reported to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that 11 more Thai workers were moved out of Beirut and arrived in Syria's capital of Damascus Tuesday evening.

This makes the number of Thai labourers evacuated to Damascus have increased to 26 so far, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement released to TNA Wednesday morning.

The remaining 74 Thai workers were also evacuated from at-risk areas to safe places Tuesday evening, said the official statement.

All the 100 Thai nationals in Beirut were evacuated following a series of aerial bombing attacks against prime targets in Lebanon by Israel's air force over the past week.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that some of the evacuated Thai workers in Beirut would return to Bangkok on Friday (July 21).

TNA

One Thai national wounded in Gaza Strip, but now safe

BANGKOK, July 19 (TNA) - A Thai national was wounded in an Israeli bomb attack in Gaza Strip, but is now safe and does not want to return home, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Thai national, whose name was not identified, was slightly injured in Israel's recent aerial bombing attack in Gaza Strip, Thai Foreign Ministry Spokesman Kitti Wasinondh told journalists here on Wednesday.

The Thai is now safe and has been evacuated from the Israel's occupied territory to safe place, according to the foreign ministry spokesman.

"The Thai national received medical treatment and was then evacuated to safe place, but refused to return home," Mr. Kitti said.

Tension in the Middle East has escalated over the past week with Israel's continued bombardments against prime targets in Palestine and Lebanon after its soldiers were captured and detained by the Hezbollah armed movement, a Lebanese Shia Islamic group fighting to free occupied territory in southern Lebanon from Israel.

All 100 Thai nationals in the Lebanese capital of Beirut have also been evacuated to safe places--26 of them are now in the Syrian capital of Damascus and some of them will return to Bangkok on Friday (July 21).

An official centre was also set up to provide 24-hour assistance to the remaining Thai nationals in Lebanon, including helping them contact their relatives in Thailand.

TNA