Thailand confirms death of Thai farm worker in Israel amid escalating Middle East conflict
The Foreign Ministry says one Thai agricultural worker has died in Israel, with the embassy in Tel Aviv handling family assistance as officials coordinate benefits and compensation.
Thailand has confirmed the death of a Thai national in Israel, with Panidone Pachimsawat, acting director-general of the Department of Information and deputy spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, saying the ministry had been informed by the Royal Thai Embassy in Tel Aviv after Israeli authorities verified the death.
The victim was identified as a Thai agricultural worker. Reuters separately reported that Israel’s ambulance service said a foreign worker was killed in Moshav Adanim in central Israel after an Iranian missile attack early on Thursday.
Thai officials said the embassy in Tel Aviv had moved to assist the family, while the Foreign Ministry was coordinating closely with the Ministry of Labour and Israeli authorities on the relevant procedures, including the worker’s rights, benefits and compensation. The Thai government and the ministry also extended condolences to the family.
Thailand’s labour authorities have already put labour offices and support channels on standby for Thai nationals in Israel and said they were prepared to assist workers immediately if conditions worsened.
The death comes as Bangkok continues to urge Thai nationals in high-risk areas of the Middle East, particularly Israel, to leave as soon as possible and follow updates from Thai embassies and consulates. According to official briefings, 1,116 Thai nationals had been assisted out of affected countries in the Middle East as of March 16, including crew members from a cargo ship attacked earlier in the crisis.
Thai workers have long formed one of the largest migrant labour groups in Israel’s farm sector. Reuters reported in June 2024 that around 30,000 Thai labourers had been working in Israeli agriculture before the October 2023 war, underlining why renewed regional fighting remains a major concern for Bangkok.
