Five Thai hostages, released by Hamas last week after being held captive for 15 months, are expected to be back in Thailand this Saturday, said Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa.
He said that he has been notified by the Israelis about their return, adding that the remains of two other Thais are expected to be flown back on the same day.
Regarding the one remaining Thai hostage, he said he expects to receive news soon, but added that, at this stage, the condition of the hostage is unknown.
Yesterday, the Facebook page of the Thai Embassy in Tel Aviv published images of the reunions of four hostages with their families at the Shamir Medical Centre.
The families’ journeys to Israeli to meet with their loved ones was funded by the Israeli government and coordinated by the Thai Foreign Ministry and the Thai Embassy in Tel Aviv.
One image shows Khammee Lamnao hugging her son, Surasak, while another hostage, Veerachot Sriaou, hugs his younger brother.
The five hostages have been given clean bills of health for their journey back to Thailand.
In Buri Ram province, Wilas Thaenna’s father, Pongsak, said that he has hired a contractor to renovate their house, especially Wilas’s room, to welcome his son home.
He said he will travel to the provincial airport to bring his son back home, where a welcome ceremony will be held, adding that his son will be going into the monkhood once he is back.
The family of another hostage, Sathien Suwannakham, was visited by a labour official in Nong Ba Lamphu province yesterday, to arrange for their travel to Bangkok to meet Sathien at Suvarnabhumi airport.
The family did not fly to Israeli because they were not sure that their son among the five hostages released by Hamas.
