Photo via i24News

 

Israeli officials confirmed the return of Thai national Sonthaya Akkarasri's body by Hamas on October 18. Sonthaya, a 30-year-old agricultural worker in Israel, was abducted from Kibbutz Be’eri during a Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, and declared dead on May 16, 2024. The identification was conducted by the National Institute of Forensic Medicine and Israeli authorities, who then informed Sonthaya's family.

 

Sonthaya had worked in Israel for over eight years, maintaining regular contact with his family. His abduction occurred during a large-scale assault by Hamas, which led to his transfer to Gaza. The Israeli Defense Forces announced the return of his body on October 19, leading to expressions of condolences from the Israeli government and assurances of continued efforts to recover other hostages.

 

Thai Foreign Affairs Director Nokorndate Palangkul expressed gratitude for the cooperation in recovering Thai victims' remains and extended condolences to Sonthaya’s family. He affirmed continued collaboration with the Royal Thai Embassy to return the remaining Thai bodies promptly.

 

The return also included Ronen Engel, a 54-year-old Israeli, whose family was taken hostage and later freed under a truce in November 2023. Engel's contributions as a photographer and ambulance driver were recognized during this time of mourning.

 

Key Takeaways

• Sonthaya Akkarasri’s body was identified and returned by Hamas.
• Israeli and Thai officials vowed continued efforts for hostages.
• Ronen Engel, another victim, was also returned to his family.

 

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  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Thaiger 2025-10-20

 

 

They tortured and starved him and then buried him like a rabbited dog, deep in the ground,

and only Israel took it upon themselves to make sure that his remains will be found and return with full care an

honor to his people. 

1 hour ago, ezzra said:

They tortured and starved him and then buried him like a rabbited dog, deep in the ground,

and only Israel took it upon themselves to make sure that his remains will be found and return with full care an

honor to his people. 

How do you know that? Israel press can hardly be believed.

Israel also took it upon themselves to kill and bury rescue workers and their vehicles because they didn’t have lights on, oh wait a minute…. One of them was a terrorist, oh wait a minute….

3 minutes ago, JimCM said:

How do you know that? Israel press can hardly be believed.

Israel also took it upon themselves to kill and bury rescue workers and their vehicles because they didn’t have lights on, oh wait a minute…. One of them was a terrorist, oh wait a minute….

 

   Honestly, do stop going on about that .

It been discussed numerous times in  many threads 

This thread is about a Thai held hostage by Hamas

3 minutes ago, JimCM said:

How do you know that? Israel press can hardly be believed.

Israel also took it upon themselves to kill and bury rescue workers and their vehicles because they didn’t have lights on, oh wait a minute…. One of them was a terrorist, oh wait a minute….

 

Why did Hamas kill  Thai workers and take others hostage on Oct. 7?  What did Thai workers have to do with the situation in Gaza?

1 hour ago, ezzra said:

They tortured and starved him and then buried him like a rabbited dog, deep in the ground,

and only Israel took it upon themselves to make sure that his remains will be found and return with full care an

honor to his people. 

 

    *Rabid dog* 

12 minutes ago, JimCM said:

How do you know that? Israel press can hardly be believed.

Israel also took it upon themselves to kill and bury rescue workers and their vehicles because they didn’t have lights on, oh wait a minute…. One of them was a terrorist, oh wait a minute….

Your bodies from Hamas did'nt have to kill this guy. 

Hamas were evil to kill him, and so are the Israelis bombing and killing innocents.

4 minutes ago, bannork said:

Hamas were evil to kill him, and so are the Israelis bombing and killing innocents.

You need to remember that Hamas stated this war. 

3 minutes ago, TedG said:

You need to remember that Hamas stated this war. 

Israel started it in 1948, but out of respect for this innocent Thai man this is not the thread to discuss the conflict.

Do we know the details of his death?

2 minutes ago, bannork said:

Israel started it in 1948, but out of respect for this innocent Thai man this is not the thread to discuss the conflict.

Do we know the details of his death?

This war that is making a mess out of Gaza was started by the Palestinians on Oct 7, 2023. 

The guy looks like a typical sionist and opressor who most probably killed a lot of Hamas babies. So no need to explain why he was killed by the muslim “freedom fighters”. Definitely not because they are savages who get enjoyment in killing other human beings.

1 hour ago, bannork said:

Hamas were evil to kill him, and so are the Israelis bombing and killing innocents.

Hitler and nazis were evil, and so were Americans bombing and killing innocents in Dresden.

Thailand should ban it's citizens to go the war torn  Israel as labourers. There are many other countries for the thai immigrants to go for jobs...

13 hours ago, bannork said:

Hamas were evil to kill him, and so are the Israelis bombing and killing innocents.

Hamas kidnapped tortured starved and killed several non-Jewish non-Israelis and held them under Appealing conditions, for what purpose really?

No 'innocents' in Gaza other than young children perhaps, perhaps I say, most of them were adding and abiding

Hamas either out fear, money of felt they had to for the cause,

They were hiding hostages in their homes and facilitating Hamas needs and many so-called civilians took part in the 7th

October massacre, so again, if there were ANY 'innocent' Palestinians, why did they allow this war to go on for so long and claim so many lives and sufferings? Why?

Just out of curiosity did anyone from the Thai government lobbied Hamas or any other powerful mediators for the return

of the 31 Thai nationals kidnapped by the Hamas? I live in Thailand and read the daily newspaper and don't recall such act on coming from the Thai government, am I wrong? and even now, where ethe remain of the last guy being brought home,

anything from the powers that be to celebrate his coming home, or God forbade, say Thank you to Israel for doing all they

could bring him and other of his slained compatriot? or is it asking too much here? 

57 minutes ago, ezzra said:

Hamas kidnapped tortured starved and killed several non-Jewish non-Israelis and held them under Appealing conditions, for what purpose really?

No 'innocents' in Gaza other than young children perhaps, perhaps I say, most of them were adding and abiding

Hamas either out fear, money of felt they had to for the cause,

They were hiding hostages in their homes and facilitating Hamas needs and many so-called civilians took part in the 7th

October massacre, so again, if there were ANY 'innocent' Palestinians, why did they allow this war to go on for so long and claim so many lives and sufferings? Why?

There are plenty of innocents in Gaza. Many oppose Hamas but are afraid of retribution, punishment and even execution.

 

5 hours ago, bannork said:

There are plenty of innocents in Gaza. Many oppose Hamas but are afraid of retribution, punishment and even execution.

 

Yes, you're right, but how long can you allow a group of blood thirst murderous drag the good Palestinians down? is it better now with all those executions in daylight? and how do you want to set up a new state with normal life with guys around'? and where is the world now to save the Palestinians from their own people? Where is Great now? Where is the UN now? or the world doesn't really care for the Palestinians and all that protests and matches around the world were for what?

On 10/21/2025 at 10:32 AM, bannork said:

There are plenty of innocents in Gaza. Many oppose Hamas but are afraid of retribution, punishment and even execution.

 

 

    Why have pro Palestinians been opposing Israel's attempts to put an end to Hamas ?

17 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

    Why have pro Palestinians been opposing Israel's attempts to put an end to Hamas ?

Becase they believe in the 1998 Charter of Hamas.

 

 

On the Destruction of Israel:

----------------------------- 'Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it.' (Preamble)

 

 

https://irp.fas.org/world/para/docs/880818a.htm

59 minutes ago, Mike_Hunt said:

Becase they believe in the 1998 Charter of Hamas.

 

Typo there. It's the 1988  Charter.  But I do agree some pro-Palestinian posters on AN  tend to accept the substance of the Hamas Charter.  In a section which refers to Jews and not specifically Zionists, it states: 

 

"They stood behind the French Revolution, the Communist Revolution and most of the revolutions we hear about... With their money they formed secret organizations - such as the Freemasons, Rotary Clubs and the Lions - which are spreading around the world, in order to destroy societies and carry out Zionist interests... They stood behind World War I ... and formed the League of Nations through which they could rule the world. They were behind World War II, through which they made huge financial gains... There is no war going on anywhere without them having their finger in it.'  (Article 22) "

 

Article 32 refers to the most famous antisemitic hoax of all: "Their scheme has been laid out in the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, and their present [conduct] is the the best proof of what is said there."   https://irp.fas.org/world/para/docs/880818.htm

 

However, neither the Hamas Charter of 1988 nor its 2017 revision contain any reference to the misbehavior of Israeli tourists in Thailand.

The Israeli Embassy in Bangkok on Thursday morning, October 23, 2025, posted photos and a message on its Facebook page stateting that a farewell ceremony was held near Ben Gurion Airport in honour of the Thai abductee, Mr. Sonthaya Oakkharasri, “who was murdered by Hamas on October 7, 2023.”

Following the ceremony, his remains were flown back to Thailand for eternal rest, the Embassy added.

“May his memory be a blessing.

On 10/20/2025 at 8:46 PM, Hellfire said:

Hitler and nazis were evil, and so were Americans bombing and killing innocents in Dresden.

 

The British, Churchill and Harris, initiated the idea, not the Americans.