Thailand to Conduct Large-Scale Evacuation of Citizens from Middle East

Thailand will evacuate its citizens from the Middle East through military flights or charter aircraft from countries in the region. This was stated by Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul following attacks by the US and Israel on Iran and subsequent retaliatory missile strikes on Israel and several Arab nations hosting US military bases.

“The government has coordinated with the Royal Thai Air Force to prepare aircraft for evacuating Thai nationals, prioritising those in Iran,” Anutin told reporters in Bangkok on Sunday, adding that charter flights are also being considered.

“We must check airspace closures and determine whether we need to evacuate them to a third country first,” he added, as cited by AFP on Monday.

According to the Ministry of Labour, Anutin stated there are tens of thousands of Thai workers in the region. Nearly 59,000 Thai nationals are in Israel whilst over 11,000 are in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, and Iran.

“The Thai government will make every effort to bring Thai nationals home safely. If they wish to return, we will welcome them back,” said Anutin.

The US and Israel launched waves of attacks against Iran beginning Saturday, following the failure of nuclear talks between the two countries on Friday.

US President Donald Trump has pledged to continue attacking Iran until its government falls. Iranian state television confirmed the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Sunday, after Trump stated he had been killed.

Meanwhile, fresh explosions were heard in Doha, Dubai, Manama, and Riyadh on Sunday. Amid the bombardment, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Syria, the UAE, and Israel all closed their airspace to civilian traffic, at least partially, and many airlines cancelled flights to and from the region.