Thailand's caretaker foreign minister Tuesday said the government would need to discuss with national security agencies a plan to send military personnel to join the United Nations (UN) peacekeeping force in Lebanon if requested.

Thailand's caretaker Foreign Minister Kantathi Suphamongkhon said Thai representatives would join an upcoming UN meeting in New York during which the issue of an international peacekeeping mission in Lebanon under United Nations auspices would be a focal point.

"Whether Thailand needs to send forces to join the mission or not, it will be discussed with our national security agencies," Kantathi said, "but it will mainly depend on a request from the United Nations."

He said the UN has currently deployed 2,000 peacekeeping forces in Lebanon and four Thai nationals are among them, serving in the department of accountancy.

The number of international peacekeeping personnel will increase to 15,000, he said, as the UN is expanding its mission in Lebanon.

A ceasefire between Israel and the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon began on Monday morning and thousands of Lebanese refugees began to return to their homes.

As the truce is holding, Thai citizens in Lebanon have informed embassy officials there that they wished to stay on.

"But I have stressed to our embassy there to look after their safety and they must keep close contact," said the minister.