A mother from Thailand’s rural Udon Thani province has expressed relief that her son was not mistreated during his over a year-long captivity by Hamas militants in Gaza. Surasak Rumnao, 31, was kidnapped along with four others in October 2023 and reunited with his family this weekend after their release.
According to Israeli authorities, Hamas-led Palestinian militants abducted more than 250 people, including Israelis and foreign nationals, during the attack on Israel. Among the victims were over 40 Thais who died in captivity, and 31 Thai labourers who were kidnapped.
Surasak’s mother, Khammee Rumnao, stated that her son was well-cared for and fed three meals a day, allowing him to shower and eat whatever his captors provided. He plans not to return to Israel and instead use the knowledge he gained in agriculture work at their home.
The Thai government reported nearly 9,000 Thais repatriated following the October attacks, with many coming from Thailand’s northeastern region. A Thai national is still believed held captive by Hamas, and efforts are being made to bring them back safely.
Thailand’s Foreign Minister expressed relief upon meeting the released hostages in Israel last week. “We never gave up and this was the fruit of that,” he said.
The release of the Thai hostages marks an emotional reunion for their families, who were waiting at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport. The ordeal has left a lasting impact on Thailand’s migrant worker groups, with nearly 30,000 working in Israel before the conflict.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/thai-nationals-held-captive-by-hamas-15-months-return-home-2025-02-09