BANGKOK – The Prime Minister has given authority to the Thai embassy in Iran to evacuate Thai citizens in the country if it is considered necessary, as the tension in the Middle East rises following the US airstrike that killed a revered military commander Qassem Soleimani.
Prime Minister and Defense Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha, announced today that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also has a related protocol in place to deal with similar situations, but urged officials and Thai laborers to be prepared for an evacuation at a minute’s notice.
He authorized the embassy to arrange a chartered flight or to use one of Thailand’s military aircraft in the event of an emergency. General Prayut also ordered concerned officers to closely follow the latest developments in the situation, citing possible ripple effects such as a surge in fuel or power costs.
Similarly, Labor Minister MomratchawongChatumongolSonakul, today instructed the labor attaches in Riyadh and Abu Dhabi to provide assistance — including possible evacuation — to Thai workers while monitoring the situation in Iran and the United Arab Emirates.
He noted that the Department of Employment has a fund for such a predicament in accordance with Thai labor law.
Currently, there are 257 Thai workers in Iran and 25 in Iraq working as technicians, chefs, masseuse, welders, and fishermen.
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