Thai Hajj pilgrims leave for Saudi Arabia

NARATHIWAT, THAILAND, August 27 (TNA) - Hundreds of Thai Muslim pilgrims have left for their annual Hajj in Saudi Arabia via direct flights specially arranged for them from Narathiwat Province in the Thai far South to Madinah, the second holiest city for global Muslims in Saudi Arabia after Mecca. General Udondej Sitabutr, Secretary-General of the army-led National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), presided over a ceremony to launch the special aviation service at Narathiwat Airport in the Muslim-predominant Thai deep South on Wednesday, aimed to facilitate the travel and help save transport costs of Thai Muslims attending the upcoming Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia this year. Over 570 Thai Muslims later left for Madinah directly from the Narathiwat Airport, in which tight security measures were provided. The first flight, carrying 281 Thai Hajj pilgrims, left the Narathiwat Airport at 10:40am, while the second flight, carrying another 296 Thai Hajj pilgrims, departed from the airport at 4:25pm. The Saudi Arabian government has granted a quota of 10,400 Thai Muslims to attend this year’s Hajj pilgrimage, most of them, or some 8,000, are from three southernmost Thai provinces of Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani. (TNA)