Freed Thai hostages celebrate in Gaza after 15 months

Freed Thai hostages celebrate in Gaza after 15 months

udon Thani, Thailand-In a fully occupied room, a local spiritual guide recited verses in the ISAN dialect, while those present knelt on braided mats. A single white thread spanned a ritual between her folded hands to warmly welcome and protect the man who was among them: Surasak Rumnao, who was held hostage in Gaza for over a year.

a moving reunion

dressed in a white shirt with short cut hair, Saß was sitting next to his friend Pongsak Thaenna, who was also kidnapped near the Gaza border during the fatal attack by Hamas on October 7, 2023. The two men had supported each other in captivity during their 15 months and now smiled when family and friends alternately bang holy white threads around their wrists to give blessings and ward off evil.

a new attitude to life

"I feel that life is now much more valuable," said Surasak two weeks after his release in his home town of Ban Dung, near the border with Laos. "I'm just trying to live as long as possible."

of the 251 people who were kidnapped by Hamas members on October 7, many came from poor rural regions of Asia . They had come to Israel to work in agriculture, construction and health sector to send money home. Among them were Surasak and Pongsak-two of the five Thai workers who were in January of a ceasefire.

fate of hostages

Like many other Thai kidnapped, Surasak and Pongsak from Udon Thani, one of the poorest provinces in the country, also came to find jobs. This motivates many young people to go abroad or to move to big cities like Bangkok. At Surasak's return party, the room was filled with older villagers, while most of her working children had left the small city.

After the ceremony, the guests enjoyed a self -cooked feast with beef soup, fermented fish, glue rice and minced meat before they celebrated with Thai schnapps late into the night. But the worries about the remaining hostages in Gaza, including a Thai citizen, remained. "I want those who have been held to be released quickly. We pray for being released - not only the Israelis, but also the remaining Thai," said Surasak.

15 months captivity

How many men and women from Thailand's rural Isan has been Surasak, now 32 years old, has been working from home since his youth. After school, he looked for work in Bangkok and then worked for a while in a factory in Taiwan. Before his kidnapping, he had grown tomatoes, eggplants, figs and apples on Israeli farms for five years. The reward was significantly better than what he could earn at home, so that he finance the training of his siblings, giving his mother money for daily needs and supporting his family's rice farm.

a life in difficulties

The influence of foreign wages is clearly visible in Surasak's village Ban dung, where new houses have been created on dusty roads and cracked asphalt roads. His home, painted in striking blue and turquoise tones, is one of the brightest and has been expanded and renovated several times over the years. But this steady income current came to a standstill on October 7, when Hamas members crossed the border with Gaza and thus began her murder and kidnapping series in southern Israel.

After the first news about the attacks, Surasak tried to quickly get back to the farm of his employer when he was kidnapped. He and the other prisoners of workers were tied up, placed in the loading area of ​​a pickup and were not allowed to look around while the vehicle drove away. After reaching Gaza, the hostages were divided, but Surasak and Pongsak stayed together and shared sleeping space and food throughout the entire 15 months. Surasak reported that they were not abused and received a portion of meat once a week, while they mainly got pita bread and cheese.

hope and faith

Back in Ban Dung was his mother, the Famme, in constant concern for her son and contacted various Thai government agencies, who finally confirmed that her son was one of the hostages and was alive. "I was afraid that he could lose weight, eat badly or have sleep problems," she said CNN. "I was afraid that my child would be kidnapped and worried what could happen to him."

Initially, Surasak asked his kidnappers when he was released - they kept assured him: "Tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, in three days, next month." But after a few questions he stopped because he no longer wanted to have false expectations. Instead, he tried to have talks and show them his sincerity. He emphasized that he was not a soldier and had nothing to do with her conflict. He joked with his kidnappers, even played cards with them and drew when there were no other playing cards and created sketches for lady.

All the time he followed the days by looking at the watches of the guards - even though he had no other information about the events outside. He and Pongsak motivated each other with the words that nothing would happen to them and that they would eventually be released as long as the negotiations were ongoing. "We trust both the Israelis and our Thai side and all agencies that did their best to help.

the liberation

When the Hamas watchman Surasak finally announced in January that he was released, he could not believe it at first. But before he knew, they sat in a car, then in a plane - and finally they were received by watery families and Thai officials at Bangkok airport.

joyful reception

The return from Surasak home was characterized by joy and relief, with the ceremony on Saturday to recall its mind - a common practice after someone went through a hard time. The community believes that the loss of the mind or vitality can lead to health problems. Therefore, they offered gifts on Saturday to regain the spirit and to restore Surasak's luck.

"Come back, good ghost", the people present shouted together. "Come back!"

his mother said she was waiting for this day for a long time. "I am so happy and proud that my child is back in our arms," ​​she said. "My child is like the foundation of the family, and I couldn't just let go of it. My child will look back so much hope and I'm really happy."

a new way

While he is back in life at home, Surasak says that he has no plans to return to Israel. His family also wants him to stay in Thailand. "I think I have enough. I want to use the knowledge I won to improve life in our own home village," he said. "I want to live a life in which I edit and cultivate the land of my ancestors."

But his thoughts continue to revolve around the other hostages in Gaza and the question of whether the ceasefire contract will last long enough to free them all.

In the last negotiation round looked like the contract on the skip had accused not of complying with his obligations. They announced that they would postpone the release of the hostages - but after all, after discussions with intermediaries in Egypt and Qatar, this was implemented. Six Israeli hostages are to be released on February 22; It is unclear when the remaining Thai hostages are freed.

"I hope that those who are still inside will stay strong. They will ultimately come out," said Surasak. "Sometimes the exchange processes take time ... we just have to wait."