Summary of weekly press conferences Thursday, November 9, 2023 at 10:30 AM

Summary of weekly press conferences

Written by the Director General of the Information Department and the official spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Date: May 9.Y. 2023 time 10.30 am. In the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

1. Participation in the APEC Economic Leaders MeetingThe thirtieth time Prime Minister of the United States

• The Prime Minister is scheduled to attend the 2023 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders Meeting in San Francisco, California, United States from 12 to 17 November 2023, with Mr. Cherchai Chawewit, Director-General of the Department of International Economic Affairs. A media briefing was held on November 8, 2023.

2. Meeting of ambassadors and consuls general around the world for the year 2023 (20 – 24 p..Y. 2023)

• The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has scheduled the 2023 meeting of ambassadors and consuls general around the world from November 20 to 24, 2023.
• The most important activities of the meeting are the following:
  • Receiving Policy “Proactive Economic Diplomacy” from the Prime Minister and receiving policies from the Prime Minister/Foreign Minister
  • A dialogue meeting between the leadership of the Royal Thai Armed Forces, the Ministry of Public Health, the Assistant Trade Attaché (Ministry of Commerce), and
    Investment (BOI) to work together in an integrated way
  • Exchange of ideas between the Royal Thai Armed Forces and the Ministry of Education to formulate joint strategies to advance foreign policy. Especially regarding important strategic issues of the government
  • A dialogue meeting between the Royal Thai Armed Forces, regional administrative organizations and governors of border provinces to discuss guidelines for strengthening relations and cooperation with neighboring countries in various dimensions.
  • Listen to information and opinions from various sectors such as academia and the private sector on megatrend issues, politics/geopolitics, economics and great power competition. Changes
    Climate and the digital economy for the benefit of foreign policy leadership
• During this period there will be a press conference and there will be an opportunity for the media to meet Ambassador W
  Consulate General: Thailand has overseas offices in 97 locations around the world, divided into 65 Royal Thai Consulate General offices, 28 Royal Thai Consulate General offices, 3 Permanent Thai Missions to the United Nations and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and a Thai Economic Trade Office One, including a Thai office. The Ministry of Commerce’s WTO delegation, which will also participate in some of the timelines.

3. Progress made in assisting Thai people from Lao Kai City, Shan State, Myanmar (Mr. Rog Thamongkul, Director-General of the Consular Affairs Department joined)

• The Royal Thai Embassy in Yangon reported that 162 Thais had already been rescued from their workplace in Lao Cai and received care by Myanmar authorities, and later, Myanmar authorities helped more Thais. 2 people, a total of 164 people
• On 7 November 2023, Pol-General Surachit Hakphan, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Police and Director-General of the Consular Affairs Department traveled to Yangon to discuss with Myanmar officials regarding assistance to the Thai people in Lauk Kay Township of Shan State, with the main objective of (1) confirming information received from officials In Myanmar, this number of Thai people are safe. It is known to Thai people
  The aforementioned group received assistance and are now in a safe place. (2) Inquiry about the state of unrest in the area around Muang Lao Cai and (3) Evacuation of Thai people from Muang Lao Cai.
• As for the immigration of Thai people, the Royal Thai Embassy is currently coordinating with the Myanmar authorities to travel to Lao Cai city to confirm citizenship. Issuing the necessary travel documents, including coordinating evacuation routes with relevant parties. Including coordination with the Royal Thai Embassy in Yangon, Beijing, and the Royal Thai Consulate General in Kunming, as well as private organizations, the Emmanuel Foundation and the Pawena Foundation. He also came to participate in supporting the work
• The Department of Consular Affairs, Department of Information and the Royal Thai Embassy in Yangon have issued periodic warning announcements to Thai citizens traveling for work abroad. Including in Myanmar, be careful not to be deceived into working illegally, and we ask for the cooperation of the media to help raise awareness of this matter.
• The communication channels of the Consular Affairs Department are on the numbers 0640198530 / 0640198907 / 0996164786 24 hours a day or 025751047 – 51 and 025751053 on official days and times.

4. Developments in the situation in Israel–Gaza (Mr. Rog Thamongkul, Director General of the Consular Affairs Department joined)

• The Ministry of Foreign Affairs holds Emergency Center (Rapid Response Center) meetings on an ongoing basis. Carrying out work related to assisting Thai workers in Israel, headed by Mr. Chakravong Saengmani, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, and dispatching officials to Tel Aviv Supporting Thai immigration operations The first group returned on 8 November 2023 after the end of the first phase of the Thai evacuation mission. The second group will be sent at the first opportunity to support the mission of caring for the Thai people still in Israel and facilitating their return to Thailand.
• The Thai government continues to work to rescue the hostages. In the past, it coordinated through various channels, such as the embassy, ​​which has a Palestinian representative in the region. and countries in the Middle East UN agencies and the International Committee of the Red Cross, including the Prime Minister/Minister of Foreign Affairs. You traveled to Qatar and Egypt from October 30 to November 1, 2023, etc.
• Impact on Thai people
  • Died – 34 people
  • Wounded – 4 people undergoing medical treatment.
  • Hostages were taken – 25 people
• Currently, the Thai authorities have arranged for a total of 7,470 Thai workers to return home via 35 flights, and there are a number of Thais who have returned by purchasing their own tickets. This brings the number of people who have returned to Thailand to more than 8,500, which is in line with the number of people who expressed their wishes. It can be considered that the government has achieved the goals of its mission in the first stage, and the next mission is compensation and assistance in various issues and following up on hostages and missing persons (if any).
• There are still about 20,000 Thais who have decided to remain in Israel, which are estimated to be in the safe zone.
• The Royal Thai Embassy in Tel Aviv returned 4 flights of Thai bodies, with a total of 34 bodies (8 of which arrived in Thailand at 1pm this afternoon).
• Although the shelter is closed, the Royal Thai Embassy in Tel Aviv continues to help the Thai people. After the shelter closed, another 32 Thai people in Israel contacted us, and another 86 people asked for advice on Facebook.

Watch past episodes on https://fb.watch/ocvZjyO0Ep/

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