October 7 · Personal story
Pongsak Tanna
Abducted
October 7, 2023
Abduction location
Israel
Current outcome
Released alive · January 30, 2025
Released from Gaza with four Thai workers
01
Life before
Pongsak left his native Buriram province to seek better work. In Israel he picked vegetables, and his family watched his Facebook livestreams of the harvest with Thai rock music playing. His father Wilas, a 64-year-old widower, stayed in Buriram and followed his son’s life from home.
02
Abduction
On 7 October 2023, Pongsak called his father instead of posting a harvest video. Wilas recalled that his son showed him the fighting and shouted, “Hide, hide, hide from the bomb first. There are more coming.” The call lasted about ten minutes before the signal cut; Wilas had no direct word from him afterward.
03
Captivity
Pongsak was held in Gaza after his abduction. For more than a year, his father heard nothing directly from him. In late January 2025, Wilas said his hopes of seeing his son again had been “50-50” and that he could not sleep after learning of the planned release.
04
Return
Thai officials named Pongsak among five Thai workers released on 30 January 2025. After medical care in Israel, he arrived in Thailand with the group on 9 February. Relatives and neighbors welcomed him in Nong Chan, Ban Khu, Na Pho district, Buriram. His first meal at home included Isan dishes he liked: beef larb, spicy beef soup and fermented beef.
05
Aftermath
Pongsak said he wanted to spend time with his family before deciding what came next, and expected to work in agriculture at home using knowledge gained in Israel. Wilas hoped he would ordain as a Buddhist monk in memory of his late mother.