20110225
Xinhua
BANGKOK, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- The first batch of 400 Thai workers who were evacuated from Libya to Turkey will board an aircraft to Thailand and are expected to arrive in Bangkok on Saturday, the deputy director general Prawit Kiangphon.

Prawit said that for their safety, 8,000 of the 23,600 Thai workers overall in Libya will need urgent evacuation from the North African country, where they mainly provide labor for construction firms.

An estimated 2,700 Thai workers have already left Libya, some moving gradually across the border to Egypt and Tunisia, he said.

A ferry chartered by the Thai government will arrive at Tripoli from Italy this evening.

The ferry will carry 2,000 Thai workers to a camp in Tunisia and return to pick up another 2,000 Thais to Italy, he said.

Thailand's ministries of labour and foreign affairs have jointly set up four temporary shelters in Egypt, Tunisia, Italy and southern Libya to help facilitate the rescue of Thai citizens residing in Libya.

In this evening, Defence Ministry will dispatch two doctors and three nurses to Libya.