Victim of Korean plane crash dreamed of becoming a flight attendant
Chiang Rai native Sirinthorn Ja-ue was travelling to South Korea to spend the New Year holidays with her mother’s new family
More than 170 people are believed to have died on December 29, when Jeju Air flight 7C 2216, travelling from Bangkok with 175 passengers and 6 crew members on board, skidded off the runway and collided with a concrete barrier at Muan International Airport in South Korea. Among the two Thai women killed in the crash was Sirinthorn “Mei” Ja-ue, a 22-year-old from Mae Suai district, Chiang Rai province.
After the tragic news broke, officials visited Sirinthorn’s family in Huai Nam Khun village to offer their condolences and support.
Sirinthorn’s uncle Teerapat Ja-ue, 37, said Sirinthorn was travelling to South Korea to visit her mother, who has lived there with her new family for more than 10 years. This was Sirinthorn’s second trip to South Korea and followed an earlier trip in July.
Her mother, who was waiting to pick her up at the airport, was told by airport staff that the plane had encountered problems while landing. Although initially alarmed, she didn’t expect the situation to escalate into a major disaster. She called Teerapat but without further information, he assumed the passengers would disembark safely.
After seeing the video of the plane on social media, he hesitated to inform anyone, including Sirinthorn’s mother, for fear of causing panic. It wasn’t until later that Sirinthorn’s mother received confirmation from the airport and was left in shock.
Teerapat said that the airline had offered to provide plane tickets for himself and Sirinthorn’s two younger brothers to travel to South Korea to collect her remains, adding that the family has yet to decide whether to hold a ceremony in South Korea and bring back her ashes or repatriate her body for religious rites at home.
Sirinthorn, who comes from an ethnic minority, was a source of pride for her family, having chosen to pursue higher education. A bright student, she earned a scholarship to study Airline Business Management at the Faculty of Humanities and Tourism Management at Bangkok University.
Sirinthorn dreamed of becoming a flight attendant after graduation, which was only three months away. The family had already planned to attend her graduation ceremony together to celebrate her achievement.
The Foreign Affairs Ministry has confirmed through the Thai Embassy in Seoul that two Thai passengers, Sirinthorn Ja-ue and Jonglak Duangmanee, died in the accident.
The Ministry, which has again expressed its condolences to relatives of the victims, says the embassy is coordinating with the South Korean authorities and Jeju Air to assist in arranging travel for the relatives to South Korea, including facilitating the necessary documentation.
