Bangkok: The body of a Thai worker who was taken hostage and died in the Gaza Strip has arrived in Thailand. The Ministry of Labor revealed that it is urgently helping the family and heirs. Mr. Nattapong Pinta, a Thai worker who was taken hostage by Hamas, was returned on an Israeli Airlines flight from Tel Aviv, arriving at Suvarnabhumi Airport at 2:00 p.m. today. Officials, including Mr. Aree Krainara, Secretary to the Minister of Labor, and Ms. Chayika Wongnapachant, Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, along with a representative of the Israeli Ambassador to Thailand, were present to receive him and lay wreaths in front of the coffin to express their condolences.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Natthaphong was the last Thai worker hostage whose body was found and sent back to Thailand. The compensation that the heirs will receive includes several financial supports. From the Israel Insurance Institute, in the event of the worker's death, the family or heirs will receive compensation including funeral expenses of approximately 79,000 baht, burial expenses not exceeding 47,000 baht, widowhood benefits of approximately 57,000 baht, and other payments. Additionally, the Department of Employment offers a lump sum of 40,000 baht and funeral arrangement costs not exceeding 40,000 baht, which is under document verification. The deceased was also entitled to 64,202.18 baht from the Social Security Fund for old age benefits and outstanding wages, with further follow-up by the Labor Department at the Royal Thai Embassy in Tel Aviv.
From the unrest in Israel on October 7, 2013, the Ministry of Labor indicates that a total of 42 Thai workers have died, with 39 bodies returned to Thailand, including Mr. Nattapong's. A total of 22 people were injured, 19 have returned to Thailand, and 3 have been discharged from the hospital and continue to work in Israel. Of the 31 Thai workers who were taken hostage, 28 have been released and returned to Thailand, and two other hostages' deaths have been confirmed by Israeli authorities, though their bodies have not been found.
For the Thai labor situation, approximately 40,000 Thai workers are currently working in Israel, with 34,000 legal workers and 6,000 illegal workers, mostly in agriculture. The Ministry of Labor, through the Department of Employment, continues to send about 1,200 workers monthly to Israel. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Royal Thai Embassy, and the Labor Department in Tel Aviv prioritize caring for and assisting Thais affected by the war, having sent 45 bodies of deceased Thais back to their country. This includes 39 from the October 7, 2023 incident, 5 from unrest in northern Israel, and 1 Thai hostage who died in Gaza. Efforts continue to locate the two remaining Thai hostages whose bodies have not yet been found in Gaza.