No Thais dead in Libyan unrest, says Chalermchai

Chalermchai was responding to an impromptu query in a House session lodged by the opposition.

However, he did not respond to a statement by Pheu Thai MP Wichian Khaokham about China's superior efficiency in evacuating all its 30,000 workers in just seven days.

So far, only 1,544 of 23,600 Thai workers have returned home.

Of the others, 3,000 remain in hostile areas in Libya with the rest living in shelters in third countries.

"Chartered ships are on their way to pick up another 4,000 workers at seaports in third countries, while another 4,000 are in line to be shipped home," Wichian said. "Thais working overseas will be treated well."

The government has rented a hotel in Tunis to host 3,000 Thais until they are shipped to a third country in Europe, foreign minister's secretary Chavanont Intarakomalyasut said in a telephone interview from Tunisia yesterday. Two flights will take 350 of them home today.

The most worrying spot is the Libyan capital, Tripoli, where border crossings have been closed and a large number of Thais waiting to get out of the country have been told to wait for a ship to Tunisia instead, he said.

Yesterday another 450 workers landed in Thailand, bringing the total making it home to 1,544, with 368 expected to land today, the Foreign Ministry said.

Thai Airways International (THAI), said yesterday that it had arranged special evacuation flights from Tunisia and Dubai.

Logistics included scheduling a charter flight to take workers from Tunisia to Dubai, where they will catch a THAI flight back to Bangkok.

The government has approved more than Bt400 million to pay for the evacuations. THAI's special arrangements include:

- L1011 charter flights between Dubai and Tunisia from March 413 to transport Thais from Tunisia to Dubai.

- A special Boeing 777300 flight between Dubai and Bangkok, departing Bangkok on March 4 and arriving in Bangkok on March 5 at 7.40am.

- Daily scheduled flights from Dubai to Bangkok from March 413 on a TG518. The larger aircraft will be used to increase seating capacity.

- THAI will change its BangkokAthensBangkok route to BangkokAthensTunisiaAthensBangkok from March 513 to evacuate Thais from Tunisia.