October 21, 2025
BANGKOK – The Foreign Ministry has confirmed that the body of one of the two remaining Thai hostages held in Gaza has been handed over to Israeli authorities. Preparations are underway to bring the remains back to Thailand for religious rites.
On October 19, Israeli authorities transferred the bodies of two hostages to a forensic institute in Tel Aviv. They were the latest remains received from Hamas following a handover late the previous night. One of the bodies was identified as Sontaya Akkarasri, 30, a Thai national.
The latest exchange, part of a ceasefire arrangement brokered with the support of the United States, brings the total number of bodies recovered by Israel to 12 out of 28 hostages. Israel has demanded that Hamas return the remaining bodies without delay, expressing frustration over what it described as “slow and inconsistent” handovers.
Hamas, meanwhile, reaffirmed its commitment to the ceasefire agreement, citing logistical obstacles, including the need for heavy machinery and excavation equipment, to recover bodies trapped beneath rubble.
Foreign Ministry coordinating repatriation
Foreign Ministry spokesman Nikorndej Balankura, also Director-General of the Department of Information, said the Royal Thai Embassy in Tel Aviv received an official report from Israeli authorities confirming the recovery and transfer of Sontaya’s remains.
The identification stems from an agreement reached between Israel and Hamas on October 13, following a peace initiative that included the repatriation of bodies of foreign hostages killed during the October 7, 2023, attacks.
“The embassy immediately informed Sontaya’s family upon receiving confirmation from the Israeli side,” Nikorndej said.
The ministry expressed its deepest condolences to the family and thanked the Israeli authorities and all parties involved for their continued assistance in locating and repatriating Thai hostages and victims.
Efforts are now focused on returning Sontaya’s body to Thailand for funeral rites after more than two years of waiting.
The Foreign Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to work closely with all sides, through the embassy in Tel Aviv, to secure the swift recovery of the remaining Thai hostage’s body and bring closure to the affected families.
Israeli Embassy expresses sorrow as body of Thai hostage Sontaya returned from Gaza
The Embassy of Israel in Thailand has expressed its deep sorrow in confirming the return of the body of Sontaya, a 30-year-old Thai farm worker killed during the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks in southern Israel.
According to the embassy, Sontaya was a devoted husband and father who had worked for several years on a fruit farm at Kibbutz Be’eri, supporting his family in Thailand. He was murdered by Hamas militants during the brutal assault, and his body was taken into Gaza, where it was held by the group for more than two years.
The embassy said his remains were among those handed over to Israel following the October 13, 2025, ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, under which the group began returning the bodies of hostages who died in captivity.
“The Thai workforce plays an immensely important role in Israel’s agricultural sector, and we are profoundly grateful for their dedication,” the statement read. “The people of Israel mourn deeply alongside the family of Sontaya, whom we will remember forever.”
The embassy added that Israel remains committed to retrieving the body of Sutthisak Rinthalak, the last remaining Thai hostage still held in Gaza, so that he can also be returned home.