All concerned parties ready to evacuate Thais from Yemen

BANGKOK, April 1 (TNA) - Concerned agencies are now prepared for helping evacuate Thai nationals from violence-plagued Yemen to safe places. Foreign Ministry Spokesman Sek Wannamethee, who is also Director-General of his ministry's Department of Information, told journalists on Wednesday that the joint preparations involves the Royal Thai Armed Forces, the Royal Thai Air Force, the Secretariat to the Prime Minister, the Bureau of the Budget, the Ministries of Public Health and Education, Thai Airways International (THAI) and the Immigration Bureau. Sek said the concerned agencies held a meeting, chaired by Deputy Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs Suvat Chirapant, earlier in the day, during which they resolved to send officials to Yemen to bring Thai citizens, including students, out of areas at risk in Yemen and evacuate them via chartered flights to safe places. According to the spokesman, the Royal Thai Air Force will deploy its aircraft to assist in the mission if the situation gets worse but the evacuation will be done on a voluntary basis. The spokesman confirmed that the concerned agencies are ready and willing to cooperate and they will meet again to adjust evacuation plans in accordance with the changing situation. The spokesman stated that relatives of Thais in Yemen can have updates from his ministry's Department of Consular Affairs via phone No. 6625751048-8 and fax No.6625751052 from 8:30am-10pm and from the Thai Embassy in Muscat, Oman's capital, through (+968) 9649 4733 and (+968) 99273440, as well as thaimct@omantel.net.om and panida.got@gmail.com. (TNA)