Embassy in Seoul on standby to evacuate Thai workers
Play
Labour Minister Pademchai Sasomsap Sunday instructed the Thai ambassador in Seoul to plan for the speedy evacuation of all Thais after North Korea on Saturday declared war with South Korea.
Pyongyang’s announcement came as the communist country escalated its bellicose rhetoric against both South Korea and is staunch ally the United States.
The emergency plan includes the setting up of temporary shelters in places like Busan and the arranging of flights and ships to transport Thais, mostly contract workers, to Japan if hostilities really break out, Pademchai said.
The labour attache at the embassy was ordered to gather information on the number of Thai workers in the northern part of South Korea.
About 44,000 Thais are in South Korea and 10 Thai employers are in North Korea, Foreign Ministry spokesman Manaswee Srisodaphol said.
The Thai envoy has reported that people are still leading a normal life in the country, he said.
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra directed the Foreign Ministry to closely monitor the conflict on the Korean Peninsula and to take care of Thais living in South Korea.
“We don’t want to see any violence or force used. We want to see peace talks,” she said.
