Thailand speeds Middle East evacuations

Thailand is accelerating the evacuation of its nationals from the Middle East, with plans under way to move 125 people out of Iran.

The government has established the Middle East Situation Management and Monitoring Centre to closely track the fighting and coordinate assistance for Thai nationals affected both in the region and elsewhere. Officials stressed that there have so far been no reports of Thai nationals being injured or killed.

On March 6, 2026, Government House, Panidone Pachimsawat, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Information and Deputy Spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, gave a situation briefing through the Middle East Situation Management and Monitoring Centre, which was set up on the Prime Minister’s orders to centralise the management of assistance for Thai nationals affected by the conflict in Thailand and across the Middle East more efficiently.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the situation in the Middle East remained fragile, with Israel, the United States and Iran continuing to launch retaliatory attacks against one another. Reports of fresh attacks have continued to emerge, while the clashes have begun to spread to neighbouring countries.

In addition to Lebanon, there were reports that Azerbaijan had come under air attack, leaving some civilians injured and damaging infrastructure. The Azerbaijani government has since announced preparations for retaliation, further heightening concern across the region.

In terms of air travel, several countries currently remain closed to air traffic, including Iran, Israel, Syria, Iraq, Bahrain, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. Saudi Arabia, Oman and Jordan remain open, with Saudi Arabia and Oman in particular becoming key hubs for evacuations by air from the region.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that there had so far been no reports of Thai nationals being injured or killed. It urged Thais in high-risk areas to consider leaving as quickly as possible and to register their details with the relevant embassy or consulate-general.

For Thai nationals in Iran, the number registered for evacuation has risen from 117 to 125. They will leave by land in two groups: 69 people on March 7, 2026, and 56 people on March 10, 2026.

The first group is expected to arrive in Van, Türkiye, on March 7. Officials from the Department of Consular Affairs and the Royal Thai Embassy in Ankara will receive them and arrange accommodation and meals while they wait for flights back to Thailand within two to three days.

From March 7 onwards, the Royal Thai Embassy in Ankara will also open a temporary operations centre in Van to facilitate the evacuation of Thai nationals leaving Iran. The centre will also serve as a temporary office for the Royal Thai Embassy in Tehran in order to assist Thai nationals who remain in the area.

As for the situation in other countries, Thai embassies and consulates-general have been coordinating closely to assist Thai nationals affected by airspace closures, while expediting documentation procedures to facilitate their onward travel back to Thailand.