
Five Thai citizens who were kidnapped by Hamas on October 7 were transferred to Israel today after 482 days in captivity. After an initial examination at the reception facility in the Re’im camp near Gaza Sathian Suwannakham, 34, Thenna Pongsak, 36, Sriaoun Watchara, 33, Seathao Bannawat, 27, and Rumnao Surasak, 32, were brought to Shamir Medical Center in Be’er Yaakov. Hospital staff waved Israeli and Thai flags as the returnees were driven from the helicopter pad to the reception department.
Dr. Osnat Levtzion-Korach, director of the hospital, told Davar that the returned hostages appeared to be in alright shape physically. “Some of them have not seen daylight,” she said.


“The arrival of those who returned from the kibbutz fields in the Gaza envelope moves us all,” Dr. Yuval Levy, director of the Israeli medical centers network, said. “The Israeli healthcare system will provide them with full support. The preparations included psychological and medical assessments. The returnees began undergoing initial evaluations. We are prepared to handle any possible medical situation resulting from prolonged captivity. This is a complex event, and the Ministry of Health, together with all of Israel, is excited about the return of those who arrived and is hoping for the return of all the remaining hostages.”
The Thai Ambassador to Israel, Pannabha Chandraramya, welcomed the returnees upon the helicopter’s landing. In a statement to the media before their arrival at the hospital, she said, “I am very emotional about the release, together with all the citizens of Thailand.”
Chandraramya noted with pride that there are currently more Thai workers in Israel than there were before the October 7 attacks.
“We have been waiting for these moments all year,” Levtzion-Korach said. “Their families are not here, so we will be their family in the near future.”
President Isaac Herzog met with Ambassador Chandraramya to mark the release of the Thai citizens. Herzog told Chandramya, “The people of Israel are very excited about the release of our Thai brothers and sisters from the hell of captivity. I heard how loved and significant they were to their families and the communities in which they worked. We hope they will find strength in the rehabilitation and healing process and can return to their homes soon.”
He expressed his appreciation to the Thai government for its support and solidarity to Israel in the months since October 7. “We will continue to do everything we can to bring back all the hostages who are still held by Hamas—including three Thai citizens,” he said.
Kibbutz Nir Oz celebrated the return of Sathian Suwannakham and Sriaoun Watchara, who had worked in agriculture on the kibbutz, along with kibbutz members Arbel Yehoud and Gadi Mozes, who were also released today.
“The community of Kibbutz Nir Oz is celebrating their return, and we are prepared to receive them. The field workers of Kibbutz Nir Oz endured severe torture during the attack on October 7,” a representative for the kibbutz wrote. “Alongside the joy of their release, one worker remains in captivity, Pinta Nattapong, who is among the 25 hostages from Nir Oz who should be coming back to us soon.”
Ofra Ben Shlomo, secretary for the kibbutz field crops division, has maintained constant contact with the Thai workers’ families since they were first taken hostage. “For the first time in this deal, our Thai workers who came to work the land of Israel are returning home,” Ben Shlomo said. “Israel-lovers in heart and soul, returning to the place they love so much. All of us in the Kibbutz Nir Oz community are waiting for them with tears in our eyes and open arms. We will not rest until they are all home.”
In the previous ceasefire deal, 23 Thai citizens and one Filipino citizen returned alive, and after being treated at Shamir Medical Center, they returned to their home countries. One living Thai citizen is thought to remain in Hamas captivity, and two bodies of Thai workers are also being held. The bodies of a Nepali citizen and a Tanzanian citizen are also still held captive.