Leading the welcoming party was Thalang District Chief Bancha Thanu-in, who had been assigned by Phuket Governor Sophon Suwannarat to lead the delegation of officials, which included heads and representatives from the local offices of the Ministry of Labour.
Nathaporn Hongsa, a resident of Moo 5, Mai Khao, was among the Thai workers safely evacuated from Israel following the massive attack launched by Hamas on Oct 7.
Mr Nathaporn was one of the Thai workers affected by rockets fired into the area close to the Gaza Strip, south of Tel Aviv.
An official report marking Mr Nathaporn’s safe return to Phuket, posted at 12:43am, said that in total 10 Phuket residents were registered as working in israel when the conflict began.
However, Mr Nathaporn so far is the only one to return.
“Most of the rest have not yet asked to return to Thailand because it’s still safe,” the report noted.
The Ministry of Labor is continuing to expedite assistance to Thai workers affected by the fighting in Israel, the report added.
An assistance centre has been set up and officials are continuing to monitor the situation in Israel, the report noted.
Latest reports have marked that 30 Thais so far have been killed by the conflict in Israel, with a further 16 injured and 17 more now abducted and taken hostage by Hamas.
Meanwhile, Boonyavee Kwaipan, acting director-general of the Employment Department, said it is preparing to provide compensation of 1B5,000 to Thai returnees from Israel who are members of the Aid Fund for Overseas Workers, reports the Bangkok Post.
Provincial employment offices have been instructed to compensate Thai returnees within three days.