KAMPHAENG PHET — 18 August 2026, A Thai mother has been left devastated after learning that her 34-year-old daughter, who had worked as a traditional massage therapist in South Korea for seven years, died under unexplained circumstances.
The family, from Kamphaeng Phet province, said they do not have enough money to bring her body home for a funeral.
Several Facebook pages shared an appeal seeking relatives of a Thai woman who had died suddenly in South Korea. She was later identified as Ms. Piyawan, known as Pla, 34, from Kamphaeng Phet. Her surname has been withheld.
The case came to public attention after many Facebook pages posted a photo and urged the woman’s relatives to urgently contact the Royal Thai Embassy in Seoul.
A local community leader in Trai Trueng subdistrict recognized the woman as a resident of the area and immediately contacted reporters.
Reporters later visited the family home in Trai Trueng subdistrict, Mueang district, Kamphaeng Phet, where they met Pla’s 69-year-old mother, Lam Yai, who was grieving heavily.
Lam Yai said her daughter had traveled to South Korea seven years ago to work as a traditional massage therapist. She regularly called home to check on the family and occasionally sent money to support them.
Their last conversation was on 8 August, when Pla told her mother that she was experiencing unusually heavy menstrual bleeding. Her mother advised her to buy painkillers. She said her daughter had no known underlying medical conditions.
The family was shocked by the news and said they would leave South Korean authorities to investigate the exact cause of death.
Tearfully, Lam Yai said she had contacted her daughter’s colleagues in South Korea and learned that transporting the body back to Thailand could cost around 200,000 baht, while bringing only her ashes home would cost about 100,000 baht.
The family earns a living through general labor and is struggling financially, leaving them unable to cover the costs. Lam Yai appealed to members of the public for help so her daughter could be brought home for a religious funeral.
Winai Detsri, chief executive of Trai Trueng Subdistrict Administrative Organization, visited the family to offer support and is coordinating with relevant agencies to explore ways to provide assistance.
The major obstacle is the high cost of transporting the body internationally, which is beyond the family’s financial means.
People wishing to help cover the cost of bringing Pla home can donate through the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC):
Account No.: 016982971787
Account name: Nang Lam Yai Samridee
The family said the account will be closed once sufficient funds have been raised to cover the necessary expenses.