An official Thai delegation, including Thailand’s foreign minister, Maris Sangiampongsa, military chief of staff General Songwit Nunphakdi, deputy foreign minister Russ Jalichandra and ambassador to Israel, Pannabha Chandraramya, visit the Western Wall in Jerusalem, Israel, on Feb. 2, 2025. Photo courtesy of The Western Wall Heritage Foundation.
Five Thai nationals recently freed from Hamas captivity in Gaza were reunited with their families on Tuesday, Feb. 4, at Shamir Medical Center in Be’er Ya’akov, Israel.
Relatives of four of the former captives traveled from Thailand to meet their loved ones and will accompany them home. Their visit was coordinated by Israel’s Foreign Ministry, the National Insurance Institute, the prime minister’s office, the Israel Defense Forces and the Thai Embassy.
The freed hostages—Thaenna Pongsak, Sathian Suwannakham, Sriaoun Watchara, Seathao Bannawat, and Lumnao Surasak—were among 31 Thai workers kidnapped by Hamas-led terrorists during the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel. They were released on Jan. 30 as part of a ceasefire deal and transferred to Israeli security forces by the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Israel’s Interior Minister Moshe Arbel has granted all five residency status, according to Hebrew media reports.
A delegation of senior Thai government officials, including Thailand’s Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa, visited the Western Wall in Jerusalem on Sunday, Feb. 2, after the hostages’ release. The delegation also included Thailand’s military chief of staff, Gen. Songwit Nunphakdi; its deputy foreign minister, Russ Jalichandra; and its ambassador to Israel, Pannabha Chandraramya.
Members of the delegation were moved to hear about the continuous prayers at the Western Wall for the return of the hostages. They also expressed their appreciation for the warm embrace that the people of Israel have extended to the Thai people, according to a statement from Jerusalem.
Meanwhile, at least one Thai hostage, 35-year-old Pinta Nattapong, remains in Hamas captivity. Two other Thai citizens, Rintalak Suttisak, 43, and Sahaot Banawat, 30, were killed during the Oct. 7 attack, and their bodies are still being held by the terror group.
At the end of the visit, they offered a silent prayer for the captives who have returned and for the swift release of all those still being held by Palestinian terrorists in the Gaza Strip.
