Thai workers in Israel return to pre-war level after October exodus

BANGKOK -- From a hydroponics farm in Binyamina, far from the fighting in Gaza, Wachiraphat Sayan heard about the fates of fellow migrant workers from Thailand taken hostage by Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that attacked Israel on October 7. But leaving was never a consideration for the 33-year-old from northern Chiang Rai province.

Wachiraphat arrived in Israel in 2022 under an arrangement known as the Thailand-Israel Cooperation on the Placement of Workers, or TIC. From making 11,400 baht ($309) per month as a local government employee, Wachiraphat now receives up to 80,000 baht, most of which he sends home.