2011-02-24 17:30

BANGKOK - Thai Labor Ministry spokesman Sutham Nathithong said on Thursday that over 2,000 Thai workers have already left Libya and another 4,000  people would be vacated within one to two days.

Most of those 2,000 Thais fled Libya through border of Tunisia and Egypt by land while some were evacuated by sea from Benghazi to Istanbul in Turkey.

The Labor Ministry, working with 30 employers, has chartered four ships, each carrying a minimum of 1,400 people, to evacuate all Thai workers to Malta. The ships are now docked at Tripoli and Benghazi, where over 10,000 Thais are staying after fleeing from their camps.

The Labor Ministry spokesman along with some officials from the Department of Employment will leave Thailand for the Republic of Malta late Thursday's night in order to closely observe the situation and assist stranded Thais in Libya.

Meanwhile, Chavanond Intarakomalyasut, Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, said after meeting with the Labor Ministry that the government planned to evacuate about 4,000 Thais to Tunisia and Italy by sea in one to two days.

The Foreign Ministry is also working with authorities in Greece and Italy to secure permission to use a number of Libyan seaports owned by companies based in both countries in the sea evacuation.

The workers will be transferred from Malta to the two countries, from where they will be flown back to Thailand, with possible visa leniency during the evacuation.

The Labor Ministry has set up a call-center service, available on 085-481-0243-5 around the clock, in addition to its regular service on 1694.

As of Wednesday, 300 calls had been made. The situation in Libya is being constantly updated on TGN5, a 24-hour satellite channel operated by Army-run Channel 5.

Currently, there are about 23,600 Thai workers in Libya. Among them, over 10,000 people live in Benghazi and Tripoli areas, where the situation is worst.