October 7 · Personal story
Owat Suriyasri
Abducted
October 7, 2023
Abduction location
Kibbutz Holit, near the Gaza border
Current outcome
Released alive · November 28, 2023
Released from captivity during the November ceasefire; returned to Thailand on 4 December 2023.
01
Before October 7
Owat was 40 and had two teenage sons with his wife, Kanyarat, in Sisaket, northeastern Thailand. He had worked on an Israeli farm for two years, growing avocados, pomelos and limes a few kilometres from Gaza. Kanyarat said he planned to finish a five-year contract, clear debts and return with enough savings to build a small house and help their sons attend university. His first visit home was planned for the end of 2023.
02
October 7
On October 7, Kanyarat recognized Owat in an image shared during the attack: a Buddhist tattoo on his shoulder identified him to her. At first, she feared he had been killed; she later learned he was among the Thai workers taken to Gaza. She said she wanted to hug him if she could see him again.
03
Captivity
In his account to DW after returning to Thailand, Owat described a cramped, damp underground cell. He said captives received flatbread and burnt bread or leftovers, with little water for washing. Guards made him carry water and clear toilet waste, which he described as humiliating. While he was held in Gaza, his wife Kanyarat waited in Sisaket. In a joint reflection with Gong Sae Lao published by the Thai Embassy after their release, they spoke of wanting to see their families and thanked the Thai and Israeli authorities who had cared for them.
04
Return
Owat was released during the November ceasefire and arrived in Bangkok on December 4 with five other Thai workers. At Suvarnabhumi Airport, Kanyarat met him. Owat thanked the Thai prime minister, government ministries and officials who had helped him, and received assistance from the Labour Ministry before travelling home.
05
After his return
By January 2024, Owat was living with his family in Sisaket and considering whether he could return to Israel. He said his former employer treated him well, but he was not ready psychologically. A scar on his stomach came from the October 7 journey toward Gaza: the motorcycle carrying him and a colleague crashed after they were forced aboard at gunpoint. The gun pressed against Owat’s back jammed and caused the wound; his colleague broke a rib.