Thai Authorities Exhume Israeli Bodies from Unlicensed Cemetery

Thai authorities exhumed the bodies of three Israelis and one British citizen from an unlicensed Jewish cemetery east of Bangkok on Tuesday. The remains were moved to a permitted cemetery in Chonburi province after it was discovered that three of the four individuals had been buried at the site after its license had expired.

The cemetery, Jewish Cemetery Thailand, located in Chachoengsao province, had its license revoked because its grounds no longer met requirements, including proximity to a public water canal. Authorities identified the deceased through gravestones, death certificates, and passports, not forensic examination. One Israeli who died in November 2023 was buried while the license was still valid. Two other Israelis, who died in November 2025 and April of this year, and the British citizen, who died in July, were buried after the license expired.

During the exhumation process, one set of remains was found approximately five meters away from its marked grave. The operation, secured by police and local forces, proceeded with required religious observances. The governor of Chachoengsao province had issued an order on September 7 to dismantle structures at the site and relocate the bodies.

The company that held the original license, Gan Chabad Company Ltd., stated it accepted the directive. The incident has prompted a broader investigation by the Thai Ministry of Interior. A committee has been formed to examine the circumstances of the original license issuance and the decision not to renew it, as well as how burials occurred after the license expired. The Deputy Minister of Interior has also ordered a review of all cemetery and crematorium licenses nationwide, vowing action against any violations regardless of operator identity or religion.