国际英语新闻:Thai PM orders to evacuate all Thais from Egypt

BANGKOK, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Saturday ordered to start evacuation of all Thais out of strife-torn Egypt.

A government-chartered plane with 340 seats will start on Sunday to transport the first patch of Thai nationals to Dubai, according to Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Suraporn Tovichakchaikul.

By now, about 900 people have asked the government for help to leave Egypt, said the minister.

The Thai embassy in Dubai will offer help to the Thais to return home, he added.

There are reportedly 2,020 Thais currently staying in Egypt and most of them are students.

Earlier on Saturday, Suraporn said the embassy in Cairo has delivered food to Thai students at their residences to ease food shortage and prepared a safe place for them.

He said the ministry has prepared two options to move the Thais out of Egypt: using Royal Thai Force planes to directly fly to Cairo or using chartered flight to move them to Dubai and then onto a Thai Airways International flight to Bangkok.

A military spokesman said the Air Force has prepared a C-130 transport plane and an Airbus 310 to be on 24-hour standby for this operation.