Dreams shattered for Thai victims of Jeju Air crash
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Two Thai nationals lost their lives in the tragic Jeju Air plane crash on Dec 29.
PHOTO: AFP
SEOUL - The two Thai nationals who lost their lives in a tragic plane crash on Dec 29, 2024, were a promising college student and a mother of two.
The victims, identified as Ms Sirinthorn Ja-ue, a 22-year-old from Chiang Rai’s Mae Suai district, and Ms Boonchuay Duangmanee, a 45-year-old from Udon Thani province, were among the 181 passengers on board the ill-fated flight.
Ms Sirinthorn was travelling to South Korea to celebrate the New Year with her mother, who had married a Korean man. It was to be her second visit to South Korea.
A bright airline business management student at Bangkok University, she was just three months away from graduation, with dreams of becoming a flight attendant.
Her family had been eagerly anticipating her graduation ceremony.
The other victim, Ms Boonchuay, had lived in South Korea for seven years with her Korean husband and worked in agriculture.
A devoted mother of two, she frequently travelled back to her home town in Udon Thani. She returned to Thailand with her husband in early December before heading back to South Korea on Dec 29.
“‘See you tomorrow morning,’ she said, and talked as we always did. I never imagined that would be the last time. I thought she would be home soon,” her grieving husband told South Korean media, recalling their last conversation.
Ms Boonchuay’s father said in an interview with South Korea’s public broadcaster KBS: “I am just trying to accept it and calm my heart. It could happen to anyone, so I accepted it. No matter what I do, my daughter won’t come back.
“I hope the government can offer some assistance. I want to bring my daughter home and perform the proper religious rites.”
The Thai Embassy in Seoul is communicating with the families of the two Thai victims.
“We are facilitating communication and coordinating with the South Korean authorities,” the embassy told The Korea Herald.
The embassy has lowered its flag to half-mast in mourning, a gesture that will remain until Jan 4.
On Dec 31, the Thai Embassy’s Charge d’Affaires Bancha Yuenyongchongcharoen visited the memorial altar at Seoul City Hall to pay his respects during South Korea’s seven-day national mourning period.
Meanwhile, the embassy has also invited Thai nationals in South Korea to pay their respects at official memorial altars in 17 cities and provinces, which will be open until Jan 4.
Both the Thai and South Korean governments have expressed condolences to the victims’ families and have assured full cooperation in arranging travel and necessary documentation for the relatives.
Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said: “I have instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to work closely with South Korea’s relevant authorities to take the best care of the bereaved families and on the immediate repatriation of the deceased.”
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul on Dec 30 said: “We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of so many precious lives, including the two Thai nationals who were aboard.”
The Foreign Ministry in Seoul has said it is “working closely with the Thai Embassy in Korea and the Korean Embassy in Thailand to offer assistance to the families of the foreign victims”. THE KOREA HERALD/ ASIA NEWS NETWORK
