Trinuch ordered a delay in sending Thai workers to countries at war risk after consulting the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, assigning the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labor to open a war room to monitor the situation and coordinate assistance for Thai workers 24 hours a day.
On 1 Mar 2026 GMT+7, Ms. Trinuch Thienthong, Minister of Labor, spoke about the rising tensions in the Middle East. She instructed Pol. Lt. Col. Wannapong Kotcharak, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labor, to establish a war room on the 5th floor of the Ministry of Labor to monitor the situation and coordinate help for Thai workers in the Middle East, providing support around the clock if the situation escalates to evacuation.
The Labor Minister said evacuation is the responsibility of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. If the Prime Minister issues orders, the Ministry of Labor is ready to assist. All actions depend on the risk assessment by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding whether evacuation is necessary. Currently, labor officials are directed to closely monitor the situation and be prepared to assist and relocate affected Thai workers to safe areas.
Regarding the deployment of workers abroad, Ms. Trinuch stated:Initially,she has coordinated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs about delaying the deployment of Thai workers to risky areas in the Middle East. According to the Permanent Secretary's report, both sides agree to postpone sending Thai workers, with further official discussions to follow.Officially,later.
Ms. Trinuch added that currently, there are 77,495 Thai workers under the responsibility of three labor offices: 58,921 at the labor office in Tel Aviv, Israel; 11,227 at the labor office in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; and 7,347 at the labor office in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which covers the surrounding region.
Pol. Lt. Col. Wannapong Kotcharak, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labor, said that going forward, he willhold video conferenceswith labor attachés at the three offices to assess and monitor the situation, urging coordination with workers on-site. He emphasized that all workers should maintain telephone contact with embassy officials and that proactive measures are in place to ensure Thai workers can promptly access emergency assistance if unexpected incidents occur.
