Freed Thai hostages: 'Israelis had it worse'

For seven weeks, Anucha Angkaew was a hostage of Hamas, which the EU as well as Germany, the US, UK and several other states designate as a terrorist organization. Cut off from the world, with no sunlight. Now, he's back home in Ban Don Phila, his village in Thailand.

Marquees and music boxes have been set up, Neighbors are cooking vats of laab neua, a northern Thai specialty and favorite dish of the guest of honor. Tired and worn thin, he sits away from the bustle, on a wooden bench in front of his parents' home, as if he were still getting used to living a life in freedom again.

"I lost 16 kilograms" (35.3 pounds), the slender man told DW. 

Pita and a bottle of water

He explained that hostages had to make do with one piece of flatbread and a bottle of water a day. The dusty tunnels were dimly lit with car batteries. "I prayed a lot and thought about my family. That gave me strength in those dark days,” the 28-year-old said.

An aunt joins us and bursts into tears at the sight of her pale nephew. "I thought I'd never see you again," she said as she tied a delicate cotton bracelet around his wrist. The white thread is meant to "bring back good spirits and banish all that is bad." The ritual is called Bai Sri Su Khwuan and is meant to restore a person's spirit or encourage mental fortitude. That's what many in northeastern Thailand believe, where most of Israel's Thai migrant workers hail from. 

Before Israel's war with Hamas, some 30,000 Thai workers tended to Israel's fields. Some 5,000 foreign harvesters were laboring near the Gaza Strip on October 7, when Hamas launched a multi-front assault in Israel. Of all countries that are third parties to the ongoing conflict, Thailand has lost the most citizens. At least 39 Thai nationals were killed during the initial attack, and another 32 were kidnapped into Gaza.

Release after diplomatic efforts

Following intensive diplomatic efforts, the government in Bangkok has been able to secure the release of 23 Thai hostages. It took weeks of appealing to Hamas through mediating countries such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

One group of Thai Muslims from the Muslim-majority southern provinces even traveled to Tehran to meet with Hamas representatives. Their efforts appear to have paid off: Thai nationals were among the first foreign hostages to be released during the brief seven-day cease-fire in late November.

Murdered friends

One of them was Manee Jirachat, who's been back in Thailand for just a few short days. He's happy to be home but also pained by the memories of what he witnessed in the past seven weeks. He was kidnapped, held hostage, and saw friends being murdered.

"Physically, I'm fine," the 29-year-old told DW on his farm in Udon Thani. "My neck still hurts a bit."

The dull pain is from a rifle stock that one of his kidnappers rammed into his neck while driving him and other kidnapped laborers onto the back of a pickup.

"Once the truck was full, they shot two of my companions in the head," the young man recounted, head lowered. "Just because there was no room left for more hostages. I'll never forget the sight."

'Israelis had it worse'

As the overcrowded pickup crossed the border into Gaza, Manee was sure he was headed to certain death. He and four other Thais, as well as two Israelis, were led into a tunnel. They spent their first days in captivity tied up on a plastic sheet. Only after it was established that they were Thai citizens were they untied so they could walk through the tunnels a bit each day.

"The Israeli hostages had it worse," he said, recounting how guards would shout at them while the Thai hostages received medication.

The group of hostages was relocated within the tunnel network three times. After weeks of living in fear, the first glimmer of hope appeared. "The guards said we would be released during the ceasefire."

After 50 days underground, he was finally allowed to return home.

The Thai hostages are now receiving the equivalent of about €13,000 ($14,024) as compensation. But Manee still doesn't want to return to Israel. He plans to keep working as a migrant laborer to feed his family. But this time, he's going to South Korea.

This article was translated from German.