Bangkok Post
Thai workers flock back to Israel
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As a fragile ceasefire takes hold following the June 2026 US-Iran agreement, a different kind of movement is unfolding at Israel's borders. Dozens of Thai workers continue arriving in the country, carrying suitcases packed with hopes for a better future.
Key facts
- As a fragile ceasefire takes hold following the June 2026 US-Iran agreement, a different kind of movement is unfolding at Israel's borders
- Nearly three years after Hamas's Oct 7, 2023 attack, which killed 39 Thai workers and led to 31 others being taken hostage in Gaza, Thailand's labour force in Israel has not diminished
- Four Thai agricultural workers were killed alongside their employers in a Hezbollah rocket strike in northern Israel in November 2024.
- She first attempted to secure employment in Israel in 2023, but recruitment plans collapsed after the Hamas attack
- When applications reopened in 2025, she tried again, knowing it was her last chance before hitting the programme's maximum age limit of 44.
- She vividly recalls the evening of Oct 7, 2023.
Summary
Nearly three years after Hamas's Oct 7, 2023 attack, which killed 39 Thai workers and led to 31 others being taken hostage in Gaza, Thailand's labour force in Israel has not diminished. Instead, it has grown.
From about 30,000 workers before the attack, the number of Thai workers in Israel has expanded to around 50,000, spread across agriculture, construction, manufacturing and service industries.