Phongphat Suchat, 29: Thai farmer, father of 2 worked alongside brother
Killed by rocket fire from the Gaza Strip in Talmei Eliyahu on October 10, 2023
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Phongphat “Kom” Suchat, 29, an agricultural laborer from the Kantharalak District in the Sisaket Province of northeastern Thailand, was killed on October 10, 2023, by rocket fire near the Gaza Strip.
He was slain alongside fellow Thai worker Aphichat Kusaram in a rocket attack on Talmei Eliyahu, about 10km from the Gaza border.
Phongphat’s body was flown back to Thailand on October 20. His funeral was held on October 22 in his hometown.
He is survived by his wife, Warunee Daosai, their two children, ages 10 and 4, his parents, Phraiwan and Saiwai, and his older brother, Surat – who was working with him in Israel and survived the rocket attack.
His family said that Phongphat had been working in agriculture in Israel for more than three years, first arriving there in September 2020.
After the October 7 Hamas onslaught, he called his loved ones to reassure them that he was OK, and that he was working in a field that was further away from the Gaza border, so he was not in danger.
His older brother, Surat, was with him the day of the rocket attack but was not wounded. He was forced to call his parents and inform them that their son had been killed.
Phongphat’s wife, Warunee, wrote on Facebook two weeks after he was killed that “all that’s left is the memories. You’ll always be in my heart, Kom. I miss you so much right now. Even if you’re up in the sky, you’ll definitely come down to look after your wife and children… Who’s going to call to ask if I’ve eaten yet? If Liton is doing his homework?”
She then wrote on Facebook on November 10, 2023: “It’s been a month since you left your wife and children… I want to tell you that I miss you so much, that I love you, and that I worry about you every day. You’ll always be in my heart.”
The Times of Israel Community.