Thai Family Prepares Buddhist Ceremony for Son Killed in Hamas Attack as Body Returns Home Under Ceasefire

Thepporn stated that his brother's death stands as a cautionary tale for other Thai workers contemplating employment overseas.

Nong Khai:

Two years following Thai worker Sudthisak Rinthalak's death by Hamas, his family in northeastern Thailand is preparing to receive his remains and conduct a Buddhist ceremony they believe will bring peace to his spirit.

Sudthisak was among 47 hostages whose remains Hamas has returned under the current ceasefire agreement. The return of deceased hostages was a crucial condition of the initial phase of the deal aimed at ending the Gaza conflict.

Over the past two years, Sudthisak's elder brother Thepporn has fulfilled promises made to his younger sibling, using compensation funds to construct a new house, purchase pickup trucks for their elderly parents, and expand their rubber plantation.

However, the 50-year-old farmer expresses that none of these accomplishments matter without Sudthisak present to witness them.

"Everything is complete but the person I did these things for is not here," Thepporn remarked while walking through their rubber plantation in Nong Khai province near the Laos border.

Israel identified Sudthisak's remains on Thursday after Hamas surrendered his body as part of the ceasefire agreement. The 44-year-old agricultural worker was captured by Hamas at an avocado farm during its October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel and subsequently killed at Kibbutz Be'eri.

The final image his family has of Sudthisak came from a video sent by friends showing him lying face down with terrorists aiming guns at him.

"I feel sad because I couldn't do anything to help him," Thepporn shared. "There was nothing I could do when I saw him with my own eyes. He was hiding behind a wooden frame and they were pointing the gun at him."

For months, the family waited through multiple hostage releases, hoping Sudthisak would be among those freed alive. Each instance brought disappointment.

"Whenever there was a hostage release, he was never included," Thepporn said.

Sudthisak had traveled to Israel to earn money to support his father, Thongma, 77, and mother, On, 80, who reside in a farming community from which young people commonly seek work abroad.

His sister-in-law Boonma Butrasri wiped away tears as she spoke about the family's loss.

"I don't want war to happen. I don't want this at all," she expressed.

Before the conflict, approximately 30,000 Thai laborers worked in Israel's agriculture sector, making them one of the largest migrant worker groups in the country.

Thepporn emphasized that his brother's death serves as a warning to other Thai workers considering employment abroad.

"I just want to tell the world that you've got to think very carefully when sending your family abroad," he stated.

"See which countries are at war or not, and think carefully."