Dozens honor slain Thai hostage at airport as his body is finally flown home

Dozens of mourners gathered at Ben Gurion Airport on Wednesday to pay their final respects to Thai national Sonthaya Oakkharasri, whose body was returned from Hamas captivity in Gaza days earlier and finally flown home for burial.

Oakkharasri, 30, was murdered by terrorists in Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7, 2023, and his body was taken captive to Gaza. While his fate was initially unknown, Israeli authorities determined in May 2024 that he had been killed the day of the attack.

His remains were returned to Israel on Saturday.

Oakkharasri arrived in Israel in 2018 to work and support his family, first working in northern Israel and later moving to the Gaza border area. He had been set to return to Thailand in October 2023 and had dreamed of building his own farm back home, according to the Hostages Families Forum. He is survived by his 7-year-old daughter, Kaimook, and his mother, Amorn.

His friends from the Thai community in Israel attended the ceremony at the airport, as well as farmers he had worked with over his years in Israel. Justice Minister Yariv Levin was also present at the ceremony and laid a wreath on Oakkharasri’s coffin.

Boonyarit Vichienpuntu, Thailand’s ambassador to Israel, said at the ceremony that Oakkharasri’s family is deeply grateful for everything that was done to bring his body home.

Vichienpuntu said Thailand regards Israel as a friend: “We send our people here, and Israelis also want to come to Thailand,” he said, according to Haaretz. “Even now, after that tragic day, there are many Thai workers in Israel. That shows that we trust and believe in the safety of this country, and we will always stand by your side.”

Thai workers like Oakkharasri experienced the trauma and horror of October 7 along with Israelis, said Amit Yifrach, secretary general of the Moshav Movement and chairman of the Israeli Farmers Federation.

“These are people who had no part in our regional conflict and came here simply to earn a living for their families — and their fate became intertwined with ours,” said Yifrach. “Today, all the farmers of Israel and all Israeli citizens bow their heads in his memory, share in the sorrow of his family in Thailand, and embrace the Thai people, who have paid such a heavy price.”

Following the return of the bodies of Oakkharasri and Nepalese agricultural student Bipin Joshi to their homelands, the bodies of two foreign nationals are still held by Hamas: Thai national Sudthisak Rinthalak and Joshua Mollel from Tanzania. The remains of 11 Israelis are also still in the Strip.