Five Thai Hostages Freed After 500 Days in Gaza Captivity

BANGKOK, Thailand — Five Thai farm workers abducted during the Hamas attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, have been released after nearly 500 days in captivity in Gaza. The men were handed over to the Red Cross on Thursday, shortly after the release of an Israeli hostage.

The freed hostages, identified as Pongsak Thaenna, Sathian Suwannakham, Watchara Sriaoun, Bannawat Saethao, and Surasak Lamnao, were working in southern Israel when they were kidnapped during the attacks. Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra expressed relief at their release, stating, “The Thai government, including everyone here in Thailand, have long been waiting for this very moment.”

One Thai hostage remains unaccounted for, with Shinawatra adding, “I hold on to my hope that the remaining Thai national will be released and returned to us safely and speedily.”

For the families of the released hostages, the news brought overwhelming emotion. Wilas Thaenna, father of Pongsak, wept upon learning of his son’s freedom. “I never thought this day would come,” he told the BBC. “Everything has been too quiet for a while.” Thaenna revealed he had barely slept the night before, overwhelmed by the possibility of his son’s release.

Wiwwaew Sriaoun, mother of Watchara, also broke down in tears. “The first thing I want to do is to hug my son and tell him I miss him very much,” she said. Watchara’s daughter, Nudee, had been praying daily for her father’s return.

Sirinna Suwannakham, sister of Sathian, shared that her family had clung to hope throughout the ordeal. “If he had died, we would have had a body to hold a ceremony,” she said. “But there was none. So we never lost hope.”

The released hostages will be taken to an Israeli hospital for medical evaluation and are expected to reunite with their families soon. Thai government officials are coordinating their return.

Of the 31 Thai workers taken hostage during the October 2023 attacks, 39 were killed on the day of the assault. Most of the hostages were released in November 2023, leaving eight in Gaza. Two are believed to have died in captivity, while the fate of the final hostage, Nattapong Pinta, remains unknown.

Thailand is one of Israel’s largest sources of migrant labor, with approximately 30,000 Thai workers employed in the country’s agricultural sector. The release of the hostages was part of a separate agreement between Hamas and the Thai government, unrelated to the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal reached on Jan. 19.