“They told me that the Thai hostages live comfortably and are not in any danger,” Areepen said, declining to call the Hamas officials he met. “I told them I used to be not here to barter, but simply to ask for his or her release.”
The 23 Thais constitute the most important group of captives in Gaza of any foreign country.
Thailand’s foreign ministry didn’t confirm the politicians’ talks with Hamas, but said it welcomed help from all parties as the federal government uses various channels to secure the discharge of the Thai hostages.
The Foreign Ministry said Qatar, Iran and Egypt agreed to instantly formally transmit to Hamas Thailand’s request to release the hostages.
“I wanted them to give it to Hamas because I’m worried that Hamas doesn’t know that these are just farm workers,” Thai Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara Pranpree said on Friday after a visit to the Middle East earlier this week.
Of the greater than 1,400 people Israel says died in Hamas’ rampage on October 7, at the very least 32 were from Thailand.
According to the Foreign Ministry, about 30,000 Thai staff work in Israel, mostly within the agricultural sector, and seven,200 of them have been repatriated for the reason that outbreak of the war in Gaza.
Areepen said last week’s meeting in Tehran was organized due to long-standing ties to Iran between Thai Parliament Speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Matha and other members of the small Muslim community.
“It wasn’t government-to-government communication, but it was through special personal relationships,” said Areepen, 72, who like Wan Noor is from a Muslim-majority deep southern region of Thailand where a slow insurgency has been simmering for many years.
About 90 percent of Thailand’s 70 million individuals are Buddhists, who’ve largely coexisted peacefully with the Muslim minority.
During the meeting in Tehran, where the 2 sides also prayed together, Areepen said he stressed to Hamas officials that Thailand was not a part of the conflict.
“They saw us in a friendly light,” he said, referring to Hamas officials. “They were amazed how we Muslims rose to high positions in Thailand even when we are few in number.”
