Body of Sudthisak Rinthalak, Thai farmer and family breadwinner, returned to Israel

[question everything]

1. Sudthisak Rinthalak

Nikorndej Balankura, the Thai Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson, said that Sudthisak’s family has been notified. He thanked the Israeli government for their assistance that led to the release of all 31 Thai hostages taken at the start of the war. Of them, 28 were returned alive and three dead.

Rinthalak, from the Rattanawapi District of Nong Khai province in northeastern Thailand, had been working for three months on Kibbutz Be’eri when Hamas attacked on October 7, 2023. His family never heard from him after the onslaught, and eventually they were informed that he was believed to be taken captive to Gaza.

In May 2024, his family was informed by Israeli authorities that both he and fellow Thai captive Sonthaya Oakkharasr had been slain on October 7 and their bodies taken hostage to Gaza.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said Thursday that his return “offers some comfort to a family that has endured unbearable uncertainty for over two years.” It cited the family as having recalled that Sudthisak’s favorite food was an omelet with tomatoes.