Mid-East embassies prepared to evacuate
All Thai nationals in strife-torn Lebanon and Israel are safe but the Thai embassies in Riyadh and Tel Aviv are prepared to evacuate them if necessary, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said yesterday.
There are about 100 Thais living in Lebanon. Most are goldsmiths or chefs, while 4 are executive officers in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil). In Israel, there are about 25,000 Thais, 150 of whom are students. Since July 12, Israel has continuously attacked Lebanon after two Israeli soldiers were taken hostage by the Shi'ite militant group, Hezbollah. There is no Thai embassy in Lebanon, so the Thai Embassy in Riyadh looks after the welfare of Thais there. "The embassies are in touch with Thais in Lebanon. "As of now, we have asked them to relocate to safe areas, such as the Christian Lebanese communities, which are not targets of the attack," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Kitti Wasinondh said. "The embassies are also preparing for transportation in case of evacuation, which will be on the ground," he said. The airport in Beirut, the Lebanese capital, has been crippled by Israeli bomb strikes and no flights are operating. If need be, the Foreign Ministry says it is ready to send a special plane to bring all Thais back home.
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