Thai family prays for son’s release from Hamas captivity in Gaza

The Sriaoun family gathered in their local church in Kut Yang, Udon Thani yesterday, October 6, their voices filled with emotion as they prayed for the safe return of their oldest son, 32 year old Watchara, believed to still be held captive by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas.

Watchara Sriaoun is among six Thais believed to be held in Gaza by Hamas after being taken during a surprise attack on Israel last year. The attack, which occurred a year ago today, October 7.

For the past year, the Sriaoun family and their church community have prayed weekly for Watchara’s return, but updates have been scarce. Watchara’s mother, 53 year old is desperate for answers.

“Asking people doesn’t give us answers, and even the village chief or headman cannot confirm anything.

“We can only pray to God.”

At least 240 people, including Israelis and foreign nationals, were abducted and taken to Gaza on October 7 by Hamas who crossed the border into Israel. According to Israeli authorities, the attack led to the deaths of at least 1,200 people.

Innocence suffers

The incident prompted an Israeli offensive that, over the past 12 months, has devastated much of Gaza, resulting in nearly 42,000 deaths according to Palestinian health officials.

NBC News reported today that Israel, on the other hand, has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, many of them women and children, and reduced much of the strip to ash and rubble. In the past three weeks, Israel airstrikes and a ground invasion have killed around 1,800 people in Lebanon and driven 1.2 million from their homes.

Hamas militants are alleged to have killed 41 Thais and abducted 30 Thai labourers during the attack. The foreign ministry reports that six Thais are still believed to be held captive by Hamas.

Last week, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra discussed the situation with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, seeking support for the release of the remaining Thai hostages, according to a government statement.

Before the conflict, about 30,000 Thai labourers worked in Israel’s agricultural sector, one of the largest groups of migrant workers in the country.

Wiwwaro helps her nine year old granddaughter, Irada, with her studies at their home in Kut Yang, Udon Thani. Irada’s father, Watchara, is believed to still be a hostage held by Hamas in Gaza.

Watchara and his younger brother went to Israel in 2020, aiming to clear the family’s debt of around 300,000 baht and cover their father’s medical expenses. They managed to send 50,000 baht home each month to help pay off the debt and renovate the family home in Thailand’s rural heartland, reported Bangkok Post.

A promise made

Wiwwaro requested her younger son to return home. With a part of the 3 million baht compensation received in July from the Israeli government, the family paid off their debt and purchased some land that Watchara had promised to buy for his mother.

Watchara’s absence is deeply felt, especially by his daughter, Irada, who also lost her mother in August, said Wiwwaro.

“I wish for this brutal war to end… Everyone has suffered enough, and I have suffered enough too, waiting for my so.”