MFA reports on assistance for Thais in Egypt

BANGKOK, August 19 (TNA) - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that the first group of Thai people evacuated from Egypt arrived home on Monday afternoon, at about 2pm, while another batch of 260 Thai nationals is scheduled to arrive home Monday night, at about 10pm. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' report, about 300 other Thais in violence-plagued Egypt remain undecided, but the Royal Thai Air Force has put its C-130 aircraft on standby to help evacuate them, as they have been advised to at least leave Cairo for safety. Nuttavudh Photisaro, Deputy Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs, then confirmed that the TG 8477 flight of Thai Airways International (THAI), the national flag carrier, arrived with 354 evacuees from Egypt at Bangkok's Don Mueang Airport at 2:05pm. Meanwhile, two chartered Boeing 737 airplanes stopping over in India for refueling they are scheduled to arrive at the Don Mueang Airport at around 10pm with altogether 260 Thai evacuees from Egypt. For the other 300 Thai people in Egypt, the senior official acknowledged, the Association of Thai Students in Cairo will inquire about their decisions again, as the latest situation in Cairo was not so critical that evacuation was inevitable. For the sake of their safety, the Thai government has advised the remaining Thai nationals in Egypt to at least leave Cairo and a C-130 transport aircraft of the Royal Thai Air Force is waiting in Dubai for more evacuees and it will be the last Thai flight to depart in the rescue mission. About 10 of the Thai evacuees who have return to Thailand do not have their passports and the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security is arrange for either their accommodations in Bangkok or trips to their hometowns in the upcountry, while the Ministry of Public Health will take care of their health. Relatives can inquire about the names of the Thai evacuees from Egypt from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Department of Consular Affairs at the phone number 02-5751047-49. (TNA)