All Thais assured to be evacuated from Libya

BANGKOK, August 4 (TNA) - The army-led National Council for Peace and Order(NCPO) has assured that all Thai nationals will be evacuated from violence-plagued Libya, after all Thais in Israel have already been moved to safe places. An NCPO deputy chief, General Tanasak Patimapragorn, who is also Thai Supreme Commander, insisted on Monday that all Thai people are safe in Libya and Thai authorities will take best care of them so that they can return home safely. General Tanasak told journalists that 18 more Thai evacuees from Libya are scheduled to arrive in Thailand on August 4 and 81 others will follow suit on August 6. However, General Tanasak said, 30 Thai nationals in Libya have not intended to return to Thailand, but concerned authorities will keep trying to convince them to leave the civil war-riddled country. General Tanasak revealed that 410 Thai workers in Libya have, so far, received payment from their employers to leave for Thailand, but 562 others have not received any care from their employers; so, the Thai government will pay for their return. The NCPO deputy chief acknowledged that about 300 other workers remain at safe locations in Libya and concerned authorities are trying to contact them, and that the Royal Thai Air Force is ready to deploy its C-130 transport aircraft to support the evacuation upon requested by the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs. At present, the evacuation depends mainly on commercial planes which are faster and safer. The NCPO deputy chief noted that the general situation in Libya was calm lately but uncertain, as battles have continued in its East and West and Thai authorities are waiting for an outcome from a session of the Libyan Parliament and are also planning charter ships to evacuate Thai people from Libya. Besides, Thai authorities are coordinating evacuation and assistance for Thai people in Libya's Tripoli amd Djerba Cities, as well as in neighboring Tunisia's Tunis capital, apart from those opened at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Military Command Center in Thailand. The NCPO deputy chief confirmed that all Thai nationals have been, meanwhile, evacuated from violence-plagued Gaza Strip and its vicinity to safe places in Israel. (TNA)