Thai Embassy Demands Explanation for Delayed Death Notice

The Royal Thai Embassy in Ankara has clarified its handling of the death of Thai national Bawornthat Pengsuk, also known as Hlun Solo, saying it was never directly notified by Georgian police and first received official notification from Georgia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 29 July.

The embassy issued the clarification on 31 July 2026 in a post on its official Facebook page, following questions over its response to the case.

The embassy said an official arrived in Tbilisi at 20:30 on 29 July and immediately went to a Georgian police station. The officer handling the case reportedly said the police station had emailed Georgia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 14 July, asking it to notify Thai authorities.

However, the embassy said it had not previously received any notification directly from Georgian police.

At 11:00 on 30 July, embassy officials met with representatives of Georgia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who formally handed over a notification of Bawornthat's death.

The document was dated 29 July 2026 and written in Georgian, accompanied by an unofficial English translation, the embassy said.

The embassy also asked Georgian authorities to investigate why the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued the notification dated 29 July only after the embassy had contacted the ministry on 28 July to inquire about the case, following reports that Bawornthat had gone missing.

The embassy reaffirmed that it had carried out its consular duties carefully, based on reliable information from the authorities of the host country and in accordance with international law, while respecting the privacy rights of the deceased and his family.

In a separate statement, the Royal Thai Embassy in Ankara reiterated: "The embassy never received notification from Georgian police and first received notification from Georgia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 29 July."