Bodies of seven more Thai workers flown back from Israel
An Israeli airline landed in Bangkok on Thursday morning, bringing seven more bodies of Thai workers killed earlier this month.
The bodies were received at a grim reception rite presided over by Israel’s ambassador to Thailand and senior Thai officials on Thursday morning.
El Al Israel Airlines flight LY083 touched down at the Suvarnabhumi Airport at 9.50am.
It was the second flight bringing dead bodies of Thai workers killed during the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel. An earlier flight, on October 20, had brought eight bodies back to Bangkok.
Israeli ambassador Orna Sagiv was joined at the airport by Aree Krainara, secretary to Labour Minister Piphat Ratchakitprakarn, and representatives from the Social Development and Human Security Ministry and Foreign Ministry
The seven bodies in wooden coffins were taken for a mourning rite during which Thai and Israeli representatives stood in silence for one minute. The officials then laid wreaths in front of the coffins.
The victims' relatives did not come to the airport, as the authorities had arranged vans to take their bodies to their homes.
The seven coffins were transported in seven vans back to their homes in their respective provinces at 11.25am.
Aree told reporters later that five of the seven victims had social security, so their families would receive compensation from the Social Security Office on top of compensation from the Thai and Israeli governments.
Aree said the Thai government would repatriate Thai workers back from Israel as soon as possible because the war between Israel and Hamas was still going on.
He said he would discuss with the Israeli ambassador about the speeding up of the victim identification process before the remaining bodies could be sent back.
As of Wednesday, 4,150 Thais of the 8,400 in Israel had returned home, the ministry said.
