Israeli employers should not use money as a lever to keep Thai workers in Israel at such a dangerous time, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said on Tuesday amid allegations of salary payments being delayed.
The prime minister said he had phoned Israeli ambassador Orna Sagiv about the matter on Monday night.
Mr Srettha said he complained that Israel was reportedly either offering higher pay or delaying payment of salaries until Nov 10, to retain Thai workers.
This was unacceptable when Thai lives were at stake. Ms Sagiv had initially replied she had no knowledge of such reports and would investigate into the matter.
Mr Srettha said he emphasised during his call that the ambassador should look into it.
The prime minister said he was aware that some Thais had decided to stay in Israel instead of returning home and he understood the financial significance to these workers.
However, he wanted all Thai workers there to return home for their own safety. The government would find them jobs here, and reasonable wages, he said.
The prime minister said the government still did not know the fate of the 19 Thais taken captive by Hamas during the attack on Oct 7.
Foreign Affairs Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara said the 19 Thais were among the more than 200 people who were abducted, including foreigners. He hoped Hamas would soon release the Thais, because they had nothing to do with the conflict.
He was concerned for the abductees because the situation in Israel and the Gaza Strip was deteriorating.
The foreign affairs minister said it was difficult to identify the bodies of the Thais who had been killed because they were decomposing. Identification would require DNA cross-checks, he said.
Mr Parnpree said it was true many Thai workers had decided to remain in Israel for the time being.
The Israeli embassy on Tuesday denied salaries were being delayed to get Thai workers to stay. The complaints may be from workers wanting to be paid earlier than usual, which was the 10th of each month, the embassy said. In fact, extra money was being offered as an inducement to stay.
About 30,000 Thais worked in Israel and they played an important role in the agricultural sector and in the food supply chain, the embassy said.
Israel needed Thai workers, so it had extended their visas and approved special allowances for those who decided to remain in their jobs near the Gaza Strip until the end of this year, the statement said.
