Thailand to quickly evacuate nationals from Libya

BANGKOK, July 30 (TNA) - Officials of the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs will leave Thailand on July 31 to arrange for the evacuation of Thai people from Libya. Manopchai Vongphakdi, head of a center to help Thai people in Libya, told journalists on Wednesday that the first group of Thai officials will leave for Tunisia to manage a quick evacuation of Thai people from neighboring Libya. Manopchai, who is also Director-General of the ministry's Department of South Asian, Middle East and African Affairs, said the officials consist of Foreign and Labor Ministries' officials and medics who will work in Tunisia's Djerba and Tunis Cities. Besides, Tunisian officials will facilitate the immigration of evacuees at the Libyan-Tunisian border from July 31. Manopchai acknowledged that the Thai Embassy is waiting for Libya's decision whether it will waive exit visas for evacuees, which will facilitate the evacuation. According to the senior official, the Thai Embassy to Libya has warned 11 Thai students to leave Tripoli at once, with the first group of Thai evacuees to travel on a vehicle to Tunis and later take a commercial flight to Thailand. India has also told its nationals to leave Libya and the Canadian Embassy in Tripoli has already been closed. In 2011, the evacuation of Thai people from Libya was done by sea because there were a large number of Thai and foreign workers at that time. At present, there are only 1,500 Thai people in Libya who stay at various locations; so, it need some times to collect the Thai nationals. Meanwhile, Thai Assistant Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal Thongchai Chalaemkhet told reporters that the Royal Thai Air Force has been ordered to prepare two C130 military to support the evacuation of Thai nationals from Libya back home, through Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. A C130 aircraft can carry up to 100-120 passengers in each trip. (TNA)