File photo: Maris Sangiampongsa/ X: @AmbPoohMaris
The Thai embassy in Tel Aviv has submitted a protest note to Israeli authorities over the practice, by some Israeli employers, of sending their employees to work in high-risk areas and thus exposing them to potentially lethal danger, said Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa today.
He cited the case of four Thais who were killed in a rocket attack on the Israeli town of Metula, close to the Lebanese border. A fifth Thai was injured but survived.
Maris said that the area where the Thai workers were killed and wounded is in a military zone, but some Israeli employers took Thais to work there temporarily, adding that, even though it was only for a short time, the rocket attacks are unpredictable.
The minister also said that he does not want to see more Thais are killed or wounded in the Middle East and has urged relevant Thai agencies to try to persuade Thai workers to delay plans to work in the region for their own safety.
Nevertheless, he said he understands the need of the Thai workers to earn more money to support their families by taking the risk of working there.
As Thailand is a new member of the United Nations Human Rights Council, Maris said that he had sent a message to his Israeli counterpart urging the Israeli government to exercise restraint, to prevent armed conflict from spilling over intoother countries in the region.
