Three Israelis exhumed from their graves in Thailand: Cemetery operated without a license

Thai authorities exhumed three Israelis and a British citizen from a Jewish cemetery in Chachoengsao province after discovering its license had expired. The bodies were reburied in a licensed cemetery. Thailand's Interior Ministry has launched a broader investigation into the matter.

Thai authorities yesterday (Tuesday) exhumed three Israelis and a British citizen from a Jewish cemetery in Chachoengsao province, east of Bangkok. The bodies were transferred for reburial in a licensed cemetery in Chonburi province, after it was discovered that three of the four deceased were buried at the site after its license had already expired. According to a statement from the Provincial Administration Department of the Thai Interior Ministry, the license for the Jewish Cemetery Thailand was not renewed after it was determined that the site conditions no longer met requirements, partly due to its proximity to a public water canal. An inspection by authorities found four graves at the site. An Israeli who died in November 2023 was buried while the license was still valid. Two additional Israelis, who died in November 2025 and April of this year, and a British citizen who died in July, were buried after the license expired. During the exhumation, it was discovered that in one case the remains were not found where the grave was marked, but about five meters away. The removal was carried out under an order from the provincial governor. The Interior Ministry has established a committee to investigate the circumstances of the original license issuance and the decision not to renew it. Thailand's Deputy Interior Minister has ordered a review of cemetery licenses nationwide.