The families of five Thai workers who were held hostage by Hamas for over a year were overcome with emotion as they reunited with their loved ones.
The arrival halls of Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkok saw family members rushing to embrace the freed hostages and weeping with joy as they returned after spending 500 days in captivity.
The five workers - Sarusak Rumnao, 32, Watchara Sriaoun, 33, Sathian Suwannakham, 35, Pongsak Thaenna, 36, and Bannawat Saethao, 27 - were freed on 30 January after the ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel.
The Thai nationals who mostly work as farm labourers in Israel were kidnapped by Hamas militants on 7 October 2023 during the attacks that set off Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s war in the Gaza Strip to target the members of the organisation.
Mr Pongsak, one of the returnees, told reporters at the airport that he was at a loss of words at seeing his family members after days.
"We are all very grateful and very happy that we get to return to our homeland. We all would really like to thank you. I don't know what else to say," Mr Pongsak told a news conference at the airport.
Somboon Saethao, the father of Mr Bannawat and lives in Nan province, told AFP: “I don’t think I want him to be far from home again.”
He said his family arrived to welcome him in a traditional Thai ceremony.
Thai foreign minister Maris Sagniampongsa and the Israeli ambassador to Thailand Orna Sagiv were both at the airport to welcome home the freed hostages.
Mr Maris said the Thai government "never gave up hope and here is the result today. The tears of joy are our encouragement”.
He added that Bangkok would continue working to secure the release of the remaining Thai hostage.
Pictures and videos showed smiling men arriving at the airport with folded hands and they were greeted by their family members, including kids and parents, who broke down due to overwhelming emotions.
The Thai nationals quickly ended their conference and left for their respective hometowns.
After their release, all five men were assessed at a hospital outside Tel Aviv before their journey to Thailand. Four of them were joined by one relative each earlier this week.
The trip was sponsored by the Israeli government, according to the Thai Embassy in Tel Aviv.
They were part of the group of 31 Thai nationals held hostage during the October attacks, making them the largest group of foreigners held captive.
They were the second batch of Thai hostages released since the war broke out.
During an earlier ceasefire in November 2023, 23 Thai nationals were released in a deal negotiated between Thailand and Hamas, with assistance from Qatar and Iran.
According to Thailand's ministry of foreign affairs, 46 Thai nationals have been killed in the conflict, including two who were killed during the attack and whose bodies were taken into Gaza.
There was no update on Nattapong Pingsa, the last remaining Thai hostage in Gaza, or the two Thai workers whose bodies were taken into the territory.
