The Thai Foreign Ministry has been coordinating with Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United States over the use of their airbases, such as the US airbase in Djibouti, in case Thai citizens need to be evacuated from strife-torn Sudan, Deputy Government Spokesperson Rachada Dhnadirek said Sunday.

The Thai National Security Council, led by its secretary-general General Supot Malaniyom, held a meeting yesterday with representatives of the Foreign Ministry, the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre (SBPAC) and other relevant agencies to discuss the evacuation plan, including that for about 90 Thai Muslim students.

She said that the SBPAC has been assigned to coordinate with the parents of the Thai students, most of whom are natives of Thailand’s southernmost provinces.

The SBPAC will arrange lodgings for the students upon their arrival in Thailand and ensure that they can continue their Islamic studies, she added.

According to the Foreign Ministry, the situation in Sudan is still volatile, with widespread fighting between government and rebel forces in and around the capital Khartoum and elsewhere.

Rachada said that the Royal Thai Air Force has put an aircraft on standby, ready to collect Thai people evacuated fromSudan to Egypt, Saudi Arabia or Djibouti.

There are about 300 Thais in Sudan, including the students, those married to Sudanese and expat workers.

According to General Supot, the Foreign Ministry is responsible for monitoring and assessing the situation in Sudan regarding evacuation, mapping out appropriate routes from Sudan and contingency plans for Thais who may be in Sudan illegally.

Sudan is situated in north-east Africa on the Red Sea.