TRANSCRIPT
Boonma Yokee is living every mother’s worst nightmare.
Her son left Thailand to work in Israel four and a half years ago, and was working on a chicken farm at the Re’im kibbutz near the sit of the Supernova music festival when Hamas launched its attack.
35 year-old Kiattisak Patee hasn’t been seen since, and is believed to be among the hostages taken by Hamas into Gaza.
“I am worried, so worried about my son. I pray they can rescue my son, that my son is safe during this war. That he can return home, return home safely”.
The family does not know whether Kiatisak is alive.
His sister, Kanjana Patee, has joined Facebook groups of migrant workers, asking for any information that might lead to her brother.
She says Thai authorities are not keeping them informed.
“I joined the (Facebook) group of Thai workers in Israel, and I posted about looking for my brother. And then I called the (Thai) embassy but no one picked up my calls at all.”
An estimated 30,000 Thai nationals were in Israel when Hamas attacked, many of them working on farms near the Gaza border.
At least 21 were killed by the militants and 16 believed taken hostage, including Kiatisak.
Survivors were on board Thailand’s second successful repatriation flight, when it touched down in Bangkok on Monday.
Israel’s agricultural sector already faced allegations from Human Rights Watch of migrant worker abuse.
After being caught in the recent violence, some - like Chockchai Yongpo - say they’ll never return.
“I talked with my family. I won't return (to work there). I'll settle down at home. A lot of things are still bad. My mental health is quite bad.”
Kiatisak had been sending his earnings back to his family in Thailand, and his mother says he planned to leave Israel and move home next year.
“Each day my heart is broken, I keep crying, I watch the news each day and I keep seeing attacks here and there. The war is getting more intense, and I keep wondering if my son is alive, if the hostages get to eat and drink. I’m worried, so worried about him.”
The Thai government says it’s trying to arrange flights for around 6,000 of its citizens that have requested evacuation from Israel.
