Thai Farm Laborer Anucha Angkaew Recounts Ordeal of Being Held Hostage by Hamas Militants in Gaza

Accident – death – Obituary News : Don Pila, Thailand (Reuters) – Anucha Angkaew, a Thai farm laborer, found himself in a nightmare when he emerged from a bunker on Israel’s border with the Gaza Strip on October 7th. Instead of encountering Israeli soldiers, he and his five Thai colleagues were confronted by 10 armed militants, later identified as Hamas by the Palestine flags on their sleeves.

“We shouted ‘Thailand, Thailand’,” recounted Anucha, a soft-spoken 28-year-old with a wispy goatee. “But they didn’t care.”

Tragically, two of the six Thais were killed soon after, including a friend who Anucha said was shot dead in front of him in a random act of violence. The remaining hostages were then forced onto a truck and driven approximately 30 minutes into Gaza.

Anucha’s harrowing firsthand account offers a glimpse into the horrors endured by many hostages during their captivity. He described being confined to sleeping on a sandy floor and enduring beatings by their Hamas captors, who he claimed singled out Israelis for particularly brutal treatment.

In order to maintain their spirits, the four Thai men relied on playing chess on a makeshift board, reminiscing about their families, and yearning for the taste of Thai cuisine.

Few of the freed hostages have spoken extensively about their ordeal, although others who have been released have also described beatings and death threats.

Hamas officials did not immediately respond to a written request for comment on Anucha’s account.

“I thought I would die,” Anucha admitted on Wednesday at his family home in rural northeastern Thailand, where he returned earlier this month after spending 50 days in captivity. Nearly all of that time was spent inside two small underground rooms, which were secured by armed guards and accessed through dark, narrow tunnels.

On October 7th, Hamas militants burst through the border and abducted at least 240 people – Israelis and foreign nationals – taking them to Gaza and killing approximately 1,200 people in the process. Over 100 hostages, primarily women, children, and non-Israelis, have been released.

In retaliation for the October 7th attack, Israel launched a devastating bombing campaign and ground offensive, resulting in the deaths of over 15,000 people, according to figures from Palestinian health officials deemed reliable by the United Nations.

Currently, 130 people, including eight Thais, remain in captivity.

Prior to the conflict, approximately 30,000 Thai laborers worked in Israel’s agriculture sector, making them one of the country’s largest groups of migrant workers. Israel’s higher wages were a major draw for these farmhands. Thailand, which has friendly ties with Israel, recognized Palestine as a sovereign state in 2012. Israel’s Foreign Ministry has referred to the deceased Thai hostages as “heroes” and stated that the released captives would receive the same benefits as their Israeli counterparts.

Once in Gaza, the Thai hostages were handed over to a small group of men who took them to an abandoned house and tied their hands behind their backs. An 18-year-old Israeli man, who Anucha said he knew from Kibbutz Re’im, where he worked on an avocado farm, was also present and shared in the beatings.

The beatings began shortly after their arrival, as the captors punched and kicked the hostages. Anucha claimed that shouting “Thailand, Thailand” eased the intensity of the blows, but the young Israeli man was not spared.

An hour later, all five hostages were put into another truck and driven for approximately 30 minutes to a small building that led to a tunnel. Near the entrance of the tunnel, they were beaten again and photographed, according to Anucha. They then walked through a dark, narrow passage to a small room.

This windowless space, measuring around 1.5 meters by 1.5 meters, was lit by a single bulb and housed the five hostages, along with another Israeli man. The militants continued to kick and punch the captives for two days. Afterward, the beatings were focused solely on the Israelis, who were whipped with electrical wires.

While Anucha did not sustain serious injuries, his wrist still bore marks from the restraints weeks after his release.

The hostages slept on the bare sandy floor and were provided with flatbread twice a day. They shared just two bottles of water that were replenished daily. A hole in the ground near the room served as their toilet, and they were accompanied by one of eight guards armed with assault weapons resembling AK-47s whenever they needed to use it. Guards strictly forbade any communication between the hostages.

“I felt hopeless,” Anucha confessed.

Initially, Anucha counted down the days based on the number of meals they received. After four days, the hostages were led to another room. During the walk, Anucha noticed that the tunnel, illuminated by flashlights carried by their captors, was lined with metal doors.

Their new room was more spacious, with plastic sheets provided for sleeping. It was also equipped with three bulbs for lighting. An alcove served as their toilet.

The beatings ceased, and their diet improved to include nuts, butter, and eventually rice.

Using meals as a reference for time, Anucha etched scratches into the floor to mark each day of their captivity. However, their routine changed when a guard brought in papers for them to sign. Since the guards only spoke Arabic, the Israelis acted as interpreters for Anucha, who admitted to having only rudimentary Hebrew language skills.

Among the papers, the guard left behind a white ballpoint pen. The hostages used it to mark time, draw tattoos, and sketch a chessboard on the plastic sheet. Chess pieces were crafted from a pink-and-green toothpaste box.

Another source of distraction was discussing food. Anucha longed for soi ju, a Thai delicacy consisting of pieces of raw beef dipped in spicy sauce, which he dreamt of and spoke about often.

Weeks passed, and Anucha remained oblivious to the Israeli raids and bombings taking place aboveground. He frequently thought about home, his father, his seven-year-old daughter, and his partner of 14 years.

On Day 35, a man dressed in black arrived for a brief inspection. Based on his demeanor and the respectful behavior of the guards, the hostages deduced that he was a senior Hamas leader.

Their routine continued until one day, following their first meal, a guard entered and announced, “Thailand, go home.” The four Thai hostages were led through tunnels for approximately two hours until they emerged aboveground at a Hamas facility, where a few female Israeli hostages were also waiting. Approximately 11 hours later, they were handed over to the Red Cross, which drove them out of Gaza on November 25th.

“I didn’t think I would be released,” Anucha admitted. “It was like I was reborn.”

However, the most difficult part for Anucha was witnessing the loss of his friend on October 7th. “I lost my friend in front of my eyes,” he said, with a heavy heart.

(Additional reporting by Artorn Pookasook; Writing by Devjyot Ghoshal; Editing by Katerina Ang).