Vilas Thanna, the father of Pongsak Thanna, a Thai fruit farmhand who was held hostage in Gaza, could barely get the words out as he digested the news of his son’s release after 15 months of captivity.
“When we are happy, we cry,” he said. “When we are sad, we also cry. But these are happy tears.”
Mr. Pongsak was among five Thai hostages who were released on Thursday. Working on farms in often dangerous parts of Israel, Thai farmhands suffered a heavy toll in the Hamas-led attacks of Oct. 7, 2023. At least 39 were killed, and at least 31 were taken hostage, according to an earlier tally from the Thai foreign ministry.
In November 2023, 23 of those hostages were released. Two more died in captivity, the Thai foreign ministry said last May. (On Thursday evening, a Thai foreign ministry official said that the total fatalities were 46, but it was not clear whether that number referred only to the Oct. 7 attacks.)
The hostages released on Thursday were Mr. Pongsak, Sathian Suwannakham, Watchara Sriaoun, Bannawat Seathao and Surasak Lamnao. The fate of one remaining Thai hostage, Nattapong Pinta, is not clear.
Mr. Vilas, Mr. Pongsak’s father, said he planned to go to Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, to meet the plane carrying his son, although costs can be prohibitive.
Thai hostages in a previous round of releases in November 2023 said they had to initially pay for their flights from Bangkok back to their home provinces. Thai labor officials say they have since disbursed funds to returned workers.
Economic hardship has spurred thousands of Thais, particularly from the Isaan region of northeastern Thailand, to take agricultural jobs in Israel, despite the risks. Besides those who lost their lives in the Oct. 7 killing attack, other Thai farmworkers have been killed over the years in rocket attacks on Israel, including in October.
But the money earned in Israel can be life-changing, and villages in Isaan are dotted with modern houses built from these overseas earnings. Some workers who suffered through the Oct. 7 attacks have since gone back to Israel to finish out their contracts.
Wiwwaeo Sriaoun, the mother of Mr. Watchara, another of the five Thais released on Thursday, was gathered at home with a gaggle of relatives when she heard of his return.
She, too, spoke of tears of joy. As her family cheered around her, Ms. Wiwwaeo’s voice rose to an excited yell.
“I hope he can come home safely,” she said.
But she was not sure whether she could afford to go to Bangkok to meet her son.
For now, she said, she was happy to see her son’s name on the TV screen among those who were finally free.
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