Supply of Thai workers to the Middle East temporarily halted

Thailand’s labour ministry has ordered a temporary halt to the provision of Thai labour to the Middle East, following the attacks on Iran by the United States and Israel and Iran’s retaliatory attacks on Israel and other Gulf states.

Thai Labour Minister Treenuch Thienthong said today that the ministry has been coordinating closely with the Foreign Ministry to help Thai labourers in the Middle East and to prepare for their evacuation if the situation escalates.

She added that both ministries have agreed that sending Thai nationals to the region should be halted for the time being.

Currently, there are 77,495 Thais working in Israel (58,921), the United Arab Emirates (11,227) and in Saudi Arabia (7,347).

Meanwhile, Labour Permanent Secretary Wannapong Kotcharak said today that he will hold a video conference with the Thai labour attachés posted the three countries to get an assessment of the situation on the ground.

He said he has instructed the attachés to ensure that all Thai nationals there can contact the Thai embassies at any time if they need help.