Deputy Interior Minister Orders Jewish Cemetery to Remove Bodies Within 7 Days

On September 11, Deputy Interior Minister Palpeer Suwannachuay conducted a fact-finding inspection of the Jewish Cemetery Thailand facility in Samut Prakan district, Chachoengsao Province, accompanied by Chatchpraorn Niyom, the governor of Chachoengsao, the Bang Khla District Officer, and Bang Khla Provincial Police. After briefing with relevant officials, he entered the cemetery without allowing media to record footage.

Local residents gathered outside the cemetery to hold signs opposing the facility's presence in their community. Following his inspection, Palpeer told residents he would accelerate management of the area in accordance with provincial announcements and enforce legal regulations against the private company. He instructed officials to notify the company that all bodies must be relocated within seven days, as the cemetery has caused psychological distress to villagers.

Palpeer also ordered officials to examine all four bodies in the cemetery to verify whether they are foreign nationals or Israeli citizens. If the deceased are of other nationalities or Thai nationals, the burials may be illegal, and autopsies must be conducted urgently to identify the bodies and locate their relatives. Community representatives expressed concerns that the cemetery affects local water sources, as rainwater runoff from the site could contaminate agricultural areas.

At a separate meeting at the Tambon Bang Khla Administrative Organization office, Krittipong Siyellow, the Sub-district Chief of Samut Prakan, and other officials held an urgent session to allocate budget for community security measures, including CCTV cameras to monitor the foreign cemetery site. The sub-district council resolved to work toward the same goal of removing the cemetery from the community once bodies are relocated.