More Thais leave Libya, Israel

BANGKOK, August 14 (TNA) - A total of 766 Thai workers have evacuated from war-torn Libya so far, while additional 150 Thai nationals in Israel have requested to return home. Permanent Secretary for Labour Jeerasak Sukonthachart told journalists on Wednesday that 766 out of 1,342 Thai citizens have evacuated from Libya so far, 300 of whom have already returned to Thailand, while another 232 of them are waiting for their flights to Thailand in Tunis, Tunisia's capital, to be arranged by Thai authorities and 234 others are waiting for their employers' arrangement of flights to take them home. Jeerasak acknowledged that there are now 416 Thai nationals awaiting for being evacuated from Libya, but 160 others insisted to stay in the violence-plagued country. According to the senior official, 150 more Thai workers in Israel recently sought their return to Thailand, but only one of them has already left the country, while the rest have remained in a "wait and see" mode as the situation there has improved due to agreed ceasefires between Israelis and Hamas forces recently. The remaining Thais in Israel have, therefore, been advised to take precautions and stayed away from violence-prone areas for their own safety. (TNA)