
BURIRAM — The family is preparing to receive the body of a Thai worker killed by an unexploded grenade in an apple orchard in Israel and will hold a religious ceremony in his hometown in Buriram province on Oct. 22. The wife revealed that amidst her grief, scammers have been calling to deceive her, attempting to exploit her family’s situation.
On October 18, Ms. Sakorn Meeram, 70, and Ms. Pruksa Meeram, 43, the mother and wife of Nisant Meeram, 42, the Thai worker who was killed by an anti-tank missile in northern Israel on October 11, met with officials to discuss preparations for the transfer of Nisant’s body for the religious ceremony in his hometown in Kanthararom Sub-district, Krasang District, Buriram Province.
They were informed by his employer that the Israeli authorities would send the body back to Thailand on October 22, 2024.
Both women also filed documents with the Buriram Provincial District Office and Buriram Provincial Labor Office to claim compensation and benefits as legal heirs after Nisant died while working in Israel amid the ongoing conflict.

Ms. Sakorn expressed her grief over the loss of her son, saying he had chosen to work abroad to support his family. She said she prayed every night for his safety and never thought she would lose her beloved child.
“I miss him and feel deeply for him. The least I can do now is say thank you for him,” she said. She added that the family would perform religious rituals upon his return to his hometown.
Mrs. Pruksa said that her husband had an agricultural labor contract to work in Israel for 5 years and 3 months. However, towards the end of last year, fighting broke out between Israel and Hamas, causing her husband to return to Thailand for 7 months. He then went back to work in Israel in June to complete his contract, as they still had over 1 million baht in debt.
Before the incident, she said they chatted normally. But from the afternoon until the evening of October 11, she couldn’t contact him. Around 7 p.m., a Thai worker in Israel messaged her on Facebook and made a video call to deliver the tragic news.
After learning of her husband’s death, the family was devastated and wanted to bring his body back for a proper religious ceremony according to their traditions. They had waited over a week and Nisant’s employer in Israel had contacted them directly to offer condolences and take full responsibility for the incident.
She explained that after losing her husband, she now had to raise two children, look after her 70-year-old mother-in-law and manage debts of over 1 million baht. Despite the emotional strain, she said she had to stay strong.
Ms. Pruksa also pointed out that in the midst of their grief, the family must be wary of scammers trying to take advantage of the situation for their personal gain. She urged those who harbor ill intentions to stop taking advantage of grieving families, calling it an act of cruelty to those who are already suffering.

The Ministry of Labor began sending Thai workers back to Israel in late June 2024. Nisant Meeram, 42, was the first Thai worker who died in the fighting between the Israeli army and the Hezbollah armed group in Lebanon in 2024, which escalated from the Israel-Hamas war.
Approximately 30,000 Thai citizens were residing in Israel, with about 5,000 workers employed in agricultural areas near the Gaza Strip, a conflict zone. Since the outbreak of war following Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, the government has evacuated over 7,000 Thais back to Thailand. At least 41 Thai workers have died, and 6-8 were believed to be held hostage.
However, on October 18, 2024, Muk Sulaiman, Secretary to the President of the House of Representatives, who previously represented the Parliament President in negotiations to assist Thais in Israel, stated that no Thai people were currently being held hostage by Hamas. Regarding the 8 individuals previously believed to be missing, he said their whereabouts were unknown but confirmed they were definitely not in Hamas custody.
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