Widow of Hamas massacre victim appeals for help

A widow who lost her husband in the Hamas massacre of Oct 7 in Israel says she is waiting for more financial assistance from the Thai government.

Narisara Malee, 30, lost her husband Tianchai Yotthongdee, 34, a Thai agricultural worker, who was killed when Hamas gunmen attacked Kibbutz Alumim in southern Israel, near the Gaza Strip.

Ms Narisara and her two children, aged 8 and 12, were at the Israeli embassy yesterday after travelling from Buri Ram province in the Northeast.

They were invited to attend Yom HaZikaron, which is a day of national remembrance commemorating all the soldiers and people who lost their lives defending the state of Israel. This year’s memorial ceremony also commemorated those killed on Oct 7, which includes 39 Thais.

Ms Narisara was asked by the media about compensation and the type of financial support she had obtained from the Thai and Israeli governments.

“I only received 40,000 baht in funeral expenses for my husband from the Thai government after the incident happened,” she said. “For other remedial financial support from the Thai government, I have not yet received anything.”

She said she had received financial support from both her husband’s employers and the Israeli government.

Asked about other families who lost their breadwinners and whether they had received compensation from the Thai government, she said she was unsure.

“The [Thai government] process is quite slow, or maybe I misunderstood something about the process as I have not received any money from the Thai government except for funeral expenses,” she said. “Please do not neglect us.”

Orna Sagiv, Israeli ambassador to Thailand, said that both Israeli employers and her government had tried their best to provide financial support to those who were affected by the war, regardless of whether they were Israelis or Thais. For the Israeli government’s assistance, Ms Sagiv said the widow would receive a high level of compensation from the Israeli government for the rest of her life.

Eight Thais are still being held hostage in Gaza by Hamas amid the broader conflict that followed the militant group’s initial Oct 7 attack.