Thailand Ministry of Labour: Refund for Thai workers who paid for return from Israel

Thai workers who fled unrest in Israel and bought their return tickets can now apply for a refund, according to the Ministry of Labour‘s Secretary, Pairoj Chotikasathien. This is in response to the recent conflict in Israel that has impacted Thai workers in the country.

Thai workers who have returned from Israel since October 7, can now request reimbursement for their travel expenses as a result of the unrest. Applications can be submitted at the Labour Assistance Centre and the Situation Monitoring Centre for unrest in Israel, located on the first floor of the Ministry of Labour building on Mittraphap Road, Din Daeng district, Bangkok.

For those in the provinces, applications can be submitted at any provincial labour office across the country. The documents and evidence required for a refund must be from expenses incurred since October 7. These include:

1. Boarding pass or flight ticket/receipt or payment document

2. Identity card copy

3. Travel document/passport copy

4. Bank account book copy of the recipient.

Pairoj further added that the Ministry of Labour will cater to all Thais who have returned due to the unrest in Israel. This includes student groups, and Thai workers, and will forward the documents to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for consideration of compensation/reimbursement.

However, only expenses incurred abroad can be claimed from the government. After submitting the documents to the Ministry of Labour, the application status can be followed up at the Consular Affairs Department’s hotline call centre, dial 02 572 8442.

The Labour Secretary also mentioned that the Labour Minister, Pipat Ratchakitprakarn, is deeply concerned about the safety of Thai workers in Israel. He has ordered the Ministry of Labour officials to take utmost care of Thai workers in Israel and provide urgent assistance. Both the group still in Israel and the group that has already returned to Thailand, reported KhaoSod.

However, the government’s policy is for all Thais in Israel to return home first for safety reasons. Relatives residing in Thailand are urged to inform Thai workers still deciding to stay in Israel to reconsider and return home as soon as possible.

Anyone wishing to return can notify the embassy or travel to the shelter immediately at David InterContinental Hotel, Kaufmann Street 12, Tel Aviv- Yafo, 61501.

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