Ten days after a Hezbollah rocket strike killed four Thai workers in a northern Israeli apple orchard, the workers’ bodies arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok on Friday. The coffins of Kawisak Papanang (37), Akaphon Wanasai (29), Thana Tijantak (31), and Prayat Pilatram (42) were then transported to their hometowns for them to be laid to rest.
On Wednesday, a ceremony was held for the victims at Ben Gurion Airport. The cermony was closed to Israeli media at the request of the Thai workers’ families.
Thai ambassador to Israel Pannabha Chandraramya participated in the ceremony, as did Director General of the Population and Immigration Authority Eyal Siso. “We hope and pray that we will not have any more need for funerals for anyone, neither Israeli nor foreigner,” a representative for the Population and Immigration Authority said.
According to Thai media, Akaphon Wanasai’s son Gave celebrated his 11th birthday thousands of miles away in Thailand on the day of his father’s death. When he didn’t hear from his father, he sent him a voice message that Wanasai would never hear: “Dad, why didn’t you call me? If you’re working, please let me know. Today’s my birthday—why didn’t you give me even one word of blessing to make me happy?”
Wanasai had been working in Israel for four years. His mother Bun-paeng told the Bangkok Post that she was shocked to hear of his death. “I cried until I had no tears left,” she said. “He loved me very much and didn’t want me to work too hard. He told me that from now on I would live comfortably and that he would take care of his father and me, and he would call every few days to talk to his only son and promised that he would return home next year.”
After the four workers’ tragic death late last month, Thailand demanded that Israel better protect Thai workers in the country and stop employing Thai workers on the border with Lebanon. Thailand warned that it would stop sending workers to Israel if its demands were not met.
In an attempt to reduce tension, Interior Minister Moshe Arbel held a meeting with Ambassador Chandraramya. “The two sides agreed that they would continue to follow the issue closely, will put into action an informational apparatus for the workers in their language, and the embassy will instruct the workers to avoid work in areas along the border,” the Interior Ministry announced after the meeting.
Charnchai and Jarong Tijantak, the parents of Thana Tijantak, told Thai media that their son was meant to return to Thailand next month after 11 months working in Israel. They said they told him not to work in Israel but that he insisted. “You can die anywhere,” they said he told them.
Thai media reported that Somli Pimsiri, the wife of Kawisak Papanang, plans to bury her husband near their house in the Lam Thamenchai district of northeastern Thailand.
Prayat Pilatram was described by Thai media as the main breadwinner for his wife and three children. He arrived in Israel in 2021 after the coronavirus pandemic caused financial troubles for his family. He left Israel after the October 7, 2023 attacks but returned in order to make money for his family.
Pilatram’s sister, Sulporn Ronroang, called on the Thai government to financially compensate the relatives of the victims.
