Puey Chareonying, a native of Buri Ram, was hit in the knee by a piece of shrapnel from a rocket fired from the Palestinian side of the border at about 3am on Tuesday, Ambassador Kasivat Paruggamanont told reporters in a telephone conference.

Puey received brief treatment before being released from hospital, the ambassador said.

Puey worked in plantations in southern Israel along with five other Thai workers.

Thai workers in the north of the country have faced a heightened security threat since Israel launched air strikes against the militant Shi'ite group Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The Thai Embassy has evacuated 74 workers from Israel's northern border area to its central region.

There are about 1,500 Thais working in northern Israel, the ambassador said, adding that another 50 would be evacuated soon.

In total, about 25,000 Thais work in Israel, mainly in the agricultural sector, Kasivat said.

Meanwhile, another 11 Thais arrived in Syria from Lebanon yesterday, raising the number evacuated from the conflict zone to 26, the Foreign Ministry said. Three more will arrive soon, the ministry said.

Supalak Ganjanakhundee

The Nation