Summary of Press Briefing

at the Joint Management and Monitoring Center for the Situation in the Middle East

by Mr. Panidone Pachimsawat, Acting Director-General of the Department of Information and MFA Deputy Spokesperson

on 11 March 2026 at 11 hrs. at the Government House

1. Developments in the Situation in the Middle East

• The situation in the region remains volatile and uncertain in certain countries which were subjected to heavy attacks last night. However, the level of violence has decreased in frequency in some countries that are not direct parties to the conflict, particularly the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. This has enabled the resumption of an increasing number of flights, including special and commercial flights, to operate out of those countries.
• The evacuation of Thai nationals from high-risk areas, which remains the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ main priority, has also made significant progress.
• To date, there have been no reports of Thai nationals injured or killed. However, given the continued uncertainty of the situation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises Thai nationals to avoid travel to the Middle East and urges those in high-risk areas to leave as soon as possible.
• Thai nationals are also encouraged to register their current address and contact information with the responsible Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate-General.

2. Developments on Assistance Provided to Affected Thai Nationals

• For Iran: The first two groups of Thai nationals who were evacuated out of Iran have all safely returned to Thailand.
• The second group of 68 Thai nationals will travel to Thailand in two batches. The first batch will arrive tomorrow morning (12 March 2026) and the second batch will arrive the following morning (13 March 2026). The Department of Consular Affairs and the Royal Thai Embassies in Tehran and Ankara closely coordinating the arrangements.
• Another group of 14 Thai nationals will be evacuated from Iraq under the coordination of the Royal Thai Embassy in Amman, to the Evacuation Operations Center for Thai nationals in Van, Türkiye, where arrangements will be made for their onward travel back to Thailand.
• For the United Arab Emirates: Etihad Airways has announced the resumption of flights to Bangkok and Phuket, operating one flight per day on each route until 12 March 2026. The airline also plans to resume services to Chiang Mai and Krabi, subject to the improvement of the situation. The Royal Thai embassy in the UAE and the Consulate-General in Dubai has continued to closely coordinate with Thai nationals who wish to travel back.
• For Qatar: The Royal Thai Embassy in Doha has confirmed that all stranded 24 Thai nationals will travel on a Qatar Airways flight and will arrive in Bangkok tonight (11 March 2026). Other Thai nationals in Qatar may also book their tickets with the airline, either direct flights or via other available transit points.
• The Royal Thai Embassies and Consulates-General in other countries in the region continue to assist Thai nationals wishing to return to Thailand, including coordinating with airlines in locations where flights remain operational and relevant local authorities to facilitate cross-border travel for Thai nationals in countries where commercial flights remain suspended.
• Totally, thus far, around 381 Thai nationals have been assisted to leave affected countries in the Middle East.
• The Government remains firmly committed to assisting Thai nationals in the Middle East who have been affected by the situation, in order to ensure that they are able to safely leave risky areas as soon as possible.
• In addition, the Royal Thai Embassy in Tel Aviv has issued a warning that scammers are impersonating embassy officials and deceiving Thais to transfer money for airfare and processing fees to travel back to Thailand. Thai embassies have no policy requiring any payment or transfer of funds as a condition for returning to Thailand. Those who wish to return to Thailand are advised to contact the relevant Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate-General responsible for their country through official communication channels only.

• For the safety of all Thai nationals who remain in the Middle East, everyone is urged to avoid areas where demonstrations or protests are taking place in affected countries. The safety of Thai nationals who remain in the affected areas continues to be the Government’s highest priority.
• The Ministry of Foreign Affairs follows the situation in the Middle East with great concern. Thailand remains firmly committed to peace and calls on all parties to urgently pursue diplomatic efforts and peaceful dialogue to prevent the conflict from escalating further.