MFA to evacuate Thais from violence-torn Yemen

BANGKOK, March 30 (TNA) - The Thai government, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is preparing aircraft and ships to evacuate Thai nationals from Yemen and coordinating with other member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to assist the Thai citizens in the violence-plagued nation. Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister General Tanasak Patimapragorn told journalists of the moves on Monday, saying that the Thai Embassy to Oman, which is also in charge of Thailand's affairs in Yemen, has already announced the evacuation of Thai citizens from Yemen due to the worsening political crisis in the Arab country in Southwest Asia. General Tanasak revealed that his ministry has set up an assistance centre at the Department of Consular Affairs in Bangkok to help the Thai nationals in Yemen, like the one set up earlier to provide assistance to Thai nationals in Libya. According to the deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Thailand has created a strong network to assist Thai citizens in several areas worldwide through friendship bonds between ASEAN member countries. The deputy prime minister and foreign minister noted that affected Thai people in Yemen will be first evacuated to safe places, before boarding flights arranged by the Thai government back home. Yemen's political crisis has been deteriorating, with clashes between forces loyal to Yemeni President Abd-Rabbo Mansour Hadi, who has already fled the country to Saudi Arabia, and armed Houthi rebels, reportedly backed by Iran. A Saudi Arabia-led coalition force has launched airstrikes on Houthi positions in Yemen as of March 26. (TNA)