Five Thai workers released after being held hostage for over a year in Gaza arrived in Bangkok on Sunday.
Sarusak Rumnao, 32, Watchara Sriaoun, 33, Sathian Suwannakham, 35, Pongsak Thaenna, 36, and Bannawat Saethao, 27, were freed on January 30 as part of an exchange arrangement.
They were embraced by family members, some of whom cried, in the arrivals hall at Suvarnabhumi Airport. Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa and the Israeli Ambassador to Thailand Orna Sagiv were both at the airport to welcome home the freed hostages.
“We are all very grateful and very happy that we get to return to our homeland. We all would really like to thank you. I don’t know what else to say,” Pongsak told a news conference at the airport.
Maris said the Thai government “never gave up hope and here is the result today. The tears of joy are our encouragement.” He added that Bangkok would continue working to secure the release of the remaining Thai hostage.
The group quickly left the news conference to return to their hometowns in Thailand’s northern and northeastern regions.
They were the second batch of Thai hostages released since the war broke out. During an earlier ceasefire in November 2023, 23 Thai nationals were released in a deal negotiated between Thailand and Hamas, with assistance from Qatar and Iran.