Fresh Air

On January 30, the world’s eyes were focused on Israeli hostages Arbel Yehoud, Gadi Moses, and Agam Berger as they were released in Gaza after close to 500 days in captivity.

Far less attention was given to five Thai workers – Sathian Suwannakham, 34, Pongsak Thenna, 35, Bannawat Seathao, 27, Watchara Sriaoun, 32, and Surasak Lamnau, 30 – who found their freedom after also being kidnapped on October 7, 2023.

Sadly, on October 7, Hamas terrorists slaughtered 39 Thai workers, the most of any nationality after Israelis to be murdered.

Thirty-one more Thai nationals were taken hostage, but, thankfully, for 23 their captivity ended in November 2023, during the first hostages for ceasefire deal.

Tragically, five additional Thai workers were also killed by Hezbollah in its attacks on northern Israel.

The five Thai hostages released last month were among eight who remained behind. Unfortunately, two of them were confirmed dead, while nothing is known at this stage of the fate of the last Thai hostage.

After a few days of recuperation in an Israeli hospital, the five men returned to Thailand on Feb. 9. Their discharge from hospital and arrival back home were covered by the media in Australia, as well as in Thailand and Israel.

A Guardian report of the five men’s return to Thailand was typical of the coverage:

“[Thai] prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said she was ‘elated’ that they were out of captivity and thanked Israel, as well as Qatar, Egypt, Iran, Turkey and the US for their work to secure the releases.”

This was better than the report on SBS TV “World News” (Feb. 10) which said merely that their release had occurred “reportedly after direct negotiations with Thailand’s Government.”

SBS’s report noted that the Thai Government has repatriated 9,000 of its 30,000 citizens working in Israel after October 7 and the freed hostages “will now receive a one-off payment plus a monthly salary until the age of 80 to ensure they never have to return.”

A report on ABC TV “The World” (Oct. 10) covered the men’s arrival home, again offering no information on what followed their release.

It must be said that these reports were more positive than a particularly nasty op-ed – The Thai Hostages Went Through the Same Hell as Our Own, but Israel Didn’t Seem to Care – in the English language edition of the far-left Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

Apart from noting that Israel has granted the five former hostages residency should they ever wish to return to Israel, the article smeared Israelis and misrepresented the treatment the Thai men received.

To set the record straight, here’s some information on the treatment and benefits provided to the Thai nationals by Israel and Israelis, as reported in the Israeli and Thai media.

Immediately after October 7, Israel announced that the same compensation Israelis receive would be given to the partners and families – including children – of Thai workers who were murdered, and to those who were injured, for the rest of their lives.

Israel also covered the funeral costs of the murdered workers.

According to a Thai Examiner report from Oct.15, 2023:

Israel offers generous benefits to Thai families

This includes a payment of ฿35,000 per month to the wife of each worker permanently until she remarries and registers the marriage officially.

In addition, the Israelis will pay child support of ฿10,000 to ฿11,000 per month for children under 18.

Concerning those injured, with injuries of less than 10%, free medical treatment will be provided while a one-off payment of ฿1.44 million will be made to those injured 10% to 19%.

Those who were left seriously injured to the point of disability will be provided with an Israeli government-funded care package for the rest of their lives.

It is also very clear that, following their release, the hostages received precisely the same medical and psychological treatment and care extended to Israeli hostages.

In fact, as a Ynetnews report stated, hospital staff ensured:

During their stay at the Israeli hospital, efforts were made to tailor their care to Thai cultural preferences. Meals included rice at every serving, supplemented with fresh fruits and vegetables. Bilingual signage was posted throughout the facility, and medical staff wore name tags in both Thai and Hebrew.

Psychological and medical care was provided by professionals from both countries, including Thai military personnel, a trauma doctor and a psychiatrist from Thailand, as well as a Thai-speaking Israeli psychologist and representatives from the Thai embassy.

Hospital director Dr. Osnat Levtzion-Korach said that continued treatment plans had been developed for them in Thailand, funded by Israel. She noted that while their physical and mental conditions had improved significantly, they still suffered from lasting injuries. One required a hearing aid, others had lost teeth and some had sustained gunshot wounds that still required further medical care.

On Friday evening, ahead of their departure [back to Thailand], the five men visited a shopping mall, where they were given a budget to buy gifts for their families and later dined at a Thai restaurant.

A Jerusalem Post story noted that ordinary Israelis were eager to visit the men in hospital:

Another moving visit was from the student council of Alon High School in Ramat Hasharon, who arrived with trolley suitcases containing gifts for the returnees to convey to them a message that they are embraced and loved like all the Israeli hostages.

With the help of the Parent Leadership Organization, a Paybox group was opened for donations, and within hours, thousands of shekels were collected. Thus, each received a trolley, a backpack, a pouch, a dry-fit shirt, an insulated bottle, branded hats, socks, a hamsa [hand-shaped amulet signifying good luck], a key chain, and dates.

What’s more, according to a JNS report:

Relatives of four of the former captives travelled from Thailand to Israel last week to meet their loved ones at Shamir Medical Center in Be’er Ya’akov and accompanied them home.

Their visit was coordinated by Israel’s Foreign Ministry, National Insurance Institute and Prime Minister’s Office, the Israel Defense Forces and the Thai Embassy.

While the five Thai nationals returned home, standing alongside Thailand’s Foreign Minister, Maris Sangiampongsa, upon their arrival at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport was Israel’s Ambassador to Thailand, Orna Sagiv.

Sagiv and her staff were also present when the bodies of 39 victims arrived in Thailand after October 7, and when four more bodies arrived in November 2024. Sagiv was warmly received when she recently travelled to Isan, a remote area in the country’s north, where the four victims came from, to pay her respects to their families.

On Feb. 13, Israel’s Channel 12 noted that Israel extended its duty of care to look after the five Thai workers even after their return home:

“[a] Thai national who returned from captivity with broken teeth underwent rehabilitation at the Shamir Medical Center in Be’er Yaakov.

The Israeli news outlet further added that Israel would continue to finance the Thai national’s dental treatment in Thailand.”

Israel’s compassionate efforts to aid these captive foreign workers stands in sharp contrast to the experience these Thai nationals underwent in Gaza starting on October 7, exposed to horrific mistreatment by their captors for more than 15 months.