SUVARNABHUMI — The first 100 Thai workers returned to Israel on Tuesday as part of the quota of 10,000 workers demanded by Israeli employers, while the Thai government increased its emergency fund by 291 million baht to support Thais in Israel.
The Ministry of Labour arranged for the first 100 Thai workers to return to Israel as part of the Thailand-Israel Cooperation on the Placement of Workers (TIC) project with two special charter flights operated by El Al Israel Airlines. The first 40 people have arrived at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv today, June 25, and another 60 will arrive there tomorrow.
These workers have a contract period of 5 years and 3 months with a monthly starting salary of 5,880 Israeli shekels, which is about 50,000 – 55,000 baht, excluding overtime pay.
Aree Kainara, Secretary to the Minister of Labour, explained that this group of workers is the first to travel to Israel after not being allowed to travel for more than eight months due to the unrest in Israel. The next departures are scheduled for 26 June and 2 and 3 July 2024. A total of 540 workers are to be sent by the end of July.
Somchai Morakotsriwan, the Director General of the Ministry of Labour, said that all workers have received training before departure to prepare them for various aspects, especially the procedures in emergencies and in times of war, as well as how to seek help from the relevant authorities in case of problems during work.
On the same day, the Deputy Government Spokesperson, Karom Pholpornklang, announced that the Cabinet approved the allocation of the 291.9 million baht ($7.9 million) budget, particularly the Central Emergency Fund, to cover the expenses for the support and evacuation of Thais affected by the Israel-Hamas War.
The key points are as follows:
- The unrest in Israel has affected the well-being of over 30,000 Thais living in Israel. Of these, about 5,000 Thais live in the vulnerable area of the Gaza Strip. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in cooperation with the relevant authorities, assisted and evacuated 7,470 Thais from Israel between October 11 and November 3, 2023. The Royal Thai Embassy in Tel Aviv served as the liaison office to coordinate with the Thais in the area to carry out this mission.
2. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in cooperation with the relevant government authorities, has provided assistance and evacuated Thais from Israel since the beginning of the unrest on October 7, 2023.
Previously, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had received a provisional allocation from the FY2023 budget, specifically from the Central Contingency Fund, for a total of three items amounting to 515.3 million baht. These items included:
- Expenses for the support and evacuation of Thais affected by the riots in Israel (first phase) amounting to 97 million baht
- Expenses for the support and evacuation of Thais affected by the unrest in Israel (second phase) amounting to 319 million baht
- Compensation for travel expenses to return to Thailand due to the unrest in Israel between 7 October and 7 November 2023 for those who have advanced their expenses in the amount of 99.3 million baht.
In this latest (third) phase, the MFA has requested an additional allocation of 291.9 million baht from the Central Contingency Fund for FY2024. This budget is for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and relevant agencies, including the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Labour, to cover the cost of assistance and evacuation of Thais affected by the riots in Israel.
The Prime Minister has approved this allocation in consultation with the Budget Office, the three ministries and the National Economic and Social Development Council.
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