RELEASED: Thai worker Gong Sae Lao, family's breadwinner

The 26-year-old had come to Israel a year earlier to earn wages for his family at Kibbutz Be’eri; he was freed on November 29

Gong Sae Lao, 26, was released on November 29 as part of a separate hostage release deal between Hamas and Thailand. This is the story of his capture:

Gong Sae Lao of Thailand was last heard from on the morning of October 7, when Hamas terrorists launched a series of blood attacks, including at Kibbutz Be’eri, where he worked.

Gong, 26, was speaking to his wife when the attack began, and she heard loud shooting in the background, according to an AP report.

Four of the Thai workers in Gong’s group managed to escape, while he and another worker were taken hostage. Their living quarters were burned to the ground.

Gong’s family is from the village of Mae Fah Luang, in northern Chiang Rai province. They are members of the Hmong minority.

He came to Israel in November 2022, planning to earn wages that would help his family, according to AP. His father is long dead and he has a brother in prison and Gong is the family’s main provider.

A local Thai translator told AP that no government official has contacted Gong’s family, except to collect a DNA sample, presumably to help identify him if his body is found.

He was freed from Gaza on November 29.