Extra quota to Hajj under negotiation
A negotiation to get more quotas for Thai pilgrims to perform Hajj in Saudi Arabia's holy city of Mecca has not completed yet, officials said Tuesday, dismissing a report Riyadh approved extra pilgrims for Thailand this year.
Saudi Arabia has already agreed to allow the number of 11,000 Thai pilgrims to perform Hajj between late November and early January, according to the Department of Religion Affairs.
But Thailand needed an extra number of 1,400 for the pilgrims as there were excessive applications this year, an official at the department said. The department has requested the Thai Embassy in Riyadh to negotiate for the additional seats.
The Thai embassy has not concluded the negotiation with authorities in Riyadh yet. A Thai television station recently reported that Riyadh already agreed for the requested additional number.
The Nation
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