About 900 Thais in Egypt to return home

BANGKOK, Aug 18 (TNA) - Approximately 900 Thais will be evacuated from Egypt and return home Sunday (Aug 18), after violence in that country has become deteriorated, officials said. Mr. Jakkrit Srivali, deputy director-general of Foreign Affairs Ministry’s Information Department, said that two chartered flights will pick up Thais from Cairo to Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. From Dubai, they will board a C-130 transport plane and a Thai Airways International charted flight heading for home. The first flight is scheduled to depart Cairo for Dubai at 5.00 p.m. local time (five hours behind Bangkok time) and will carry 344 passengers, he said. The second flight will carry 317 passengers and is due to leave Cairo at 8.00 p.m. (local time). The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF), meanwhile, will dispatch two C-130s to Dubai and are scheduled to arrive there also on Sunday (Aug 18), according to RTAF spokesman Monthon Satchukorn. Each plane could carry 110 passengers. The two transport planes are expected to refuel in India while heading for Bangkok‘s Don Mueang Airport, said the spokesman. RTAF plans to dispatch another two C-130s to pick up Thai citizens from Cairo on Monday (Aug 19). The decision to evacuate Thais from Egypt for home has been made following concerns by the Thai government after more than 700 people have been reported killed in the ongoing bloody violence in that country. (TNA)