October 7 · Personal story
Bancha Kongmanee
Abducted
October 7, 2023
Abduction location
Near Gaza farm
Current outcome
Released alive · November 24, 2023
Released from Gaza in November 2023
01
Life before
Bancha was a Thai farm worker. His mother Boonchob was 62 in 2023. She said he had taken overtime at a farm near Gaza because he wanted to earn extra money.
02
Abduction
On 7 October 2023, Bancha was taken while working overtime at a farm close to Gaza. Before he was taken, he told his mother by phone that the attack did not seem critical and that he was used to hearing bombs. Co-workers who remained at camp later told her he was missing.
03
Captivity
When Bancha’s co-workers told his mother he was missing, she said, “I thought I had lost my son.” She waited without news; monks at the temple reassured her that he was alive. Thai officials later named him among workers released on 24 November 2023.
04
Return
Bancha was released on 24 November 2023 with the first group of Thai workers. He arrived in Bangkok with other released Thai nationals on 30 November. His mother waited at the family home in Amnat Charoen, where relatives and visitors gathered ahead of his arrival.
05
Aftermath
Before Bancha’s return, his mother said she wanted to tell him how much she loved and missed him. The family planned a bai sri su kwan ceremony, tying white threads around his wrist in a tradition meant to call the spirit home. She described the expected reunion as winning the lottery.