Govt readies flights to evacuate Thais from Ukraine
Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha has ordered the Foreign Ministry to help evacuate Thai citizens in areas affected by the conflict between Ukraine and Russia as soon as possible.
“The prime minister has been following the latest situations closely and is highly concerned about the safety of Thai people in Ukraine and nearby areas,” government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said on Thursday.
The Foreign Ministry has advised Thais to avoid the cities of Donetsk and Luhansk in Ukraine. The ministry has readied three plans to evacuate Thais in Ukraine:
1. Chartered flights have been prepared to take off from Lviv, which is on the Ukraine border.
2. If territorial airspace is closed, the ministry will organise road transport for Thais from Lviv to the Polish capital Warsaw.
3. Thai Airways and the Royal Thai Air Force have been told to prepare chartered flights from Thailand to either Lviv or Warsaw.
“PM Prayut also urged all Thais in Ukraine to follow the situation closely,” said Thanakorn. “If you required any assistance, contact Thailand’s embassy in Warsaw, which is also responsible for Ukraine territory.”
The embassy can be reached by telephoning +48 696 642 348 or e-mailing [email protected]