CHAING MAI, Thailand – Families of Thai migrant workers in Israel are pleading for their loved ones’ safe return as the conflict in the Middle East intensifies following heavy missile attacks from Iran.
In the village of Ban Nong Hoi Kao in Chiang Mai, the atmosphere is heavy with anxiety. Many young men from this highland community traveled to Israel for high-paying agricultural jobs, only to find themselves in a war zone.
Ye Saeyang, 60, spends her days praying for her 28-year-old son, Chairat, a Hmong worker from Mon Jam who moved to Israel a year ago to support his family.
“I call him every day to check if he is safe and tell him to be careful,” Ye said. While Chairat sends money home every month, his mother says the financial gain is no longer her priority. “I don’t want the money anymore. I just want my son to come home immediately if the Thai government sends a plane to get them.”
Speaking via telephone from near Tel Aviv, Chairat described a life of constant terror. “Every day, the sky is filled with the sound of explosions from incoming missiles,” Chairat said. “We have to run for our lives into bunkers all the time. I live in fear day and night.” Many Thai workers wish to return home, but with the airspace still closed, they remain at risk and must continue seeking shelter from the ongoing strikes, he added.
The plight of Chairat reflects the reality for many of the approximately 58,000 Thai nationals currently working in Israel. What began as a dream to build a better life and escape poverty has turned into a struggle for survival.
Despite the desire of many workers to flee the escalating violence, returning remains difficult as airspace closures and ongoing hostilities complicate evacuation efforts. For now, the families on Mon Jam can do little but wait for the thunder of war to cease, hoping their relatives can eventually return to the safety of the Thai mountains. (TNA)
