The remains of Sudthisak Rinthalak, the final Thai national held hostage in Gaza, have been repatriated to Bangkok for burial after over two years.
BANGKOK: The body of the last Thai national held hostage in Gaza since the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel was repatriated on Wednesday.
Thailand’s foreign ministry confirmed the remains of Sudthisak Rinthalak arrived at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport from Tel Aviv.
Sudthisak was 43 and working in agriculture in southern Israel when he was killed during the Hamas attack.
His body was taken to the Gaza Strip and held there throughout the ensuing war.
While Hamas released living hostages as part of a ceasefire deal, returning the remains of deceased captives has been a prolonged process.
Israel’s army said last week it had identified Sudthisak’s body after it was returned by militants.
The remains were then handed over to Thai authorities for burial.
Sudthisak’s father Thongma said the family had been waiting to perform Buddhist funeral rites in their hometown in Nong Khai province.
Israel’s ambassador to Thailand Alona Fisher-Kamm expressed condolences to the family during a ceremony in Tel Aviv.
Thai Labour Minister Treenuch Thienthong pledged to guarantee the full benefits his family is entitled to.
Nearly 30,000 Thais work in Israel, mostly in the agricultural sector.
The Gaza war was sparked by Hamas’s 2023 attack on Israel, which resulted in 1,221 deaths.
The Thai labour ministry said 47 Thai nationals were killed during the conflict.
More than 70,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the war began, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
