Four Jewish graves were relocated today from the new Jewish cemetery in the Chachoengsao area near Bangkok after Thai authorities declined to renew its operating license.
The graves were transferred to an existing cemetery where the Jewish community purchased plots designated for Jewish burial.
For approximately 30 years, a Jewish cemetery in Bangkok has served the local community. In 2021, after the cemetery approached full capacity, the community purchased a large plot of land in the Chachoengsao area with the aim of preparing it as a Jewish cemetery for the coming years.
According to the community, the authorities granted the required permits and license to operate the site for a period of three years, during which four Jews were buried there. In 2024, the community applied to renew the license, but the authorities did not approve the application. The community subsequently filed an appeal with the court, which has yet to issue a ruling.
Thailand’s Chief Rabbi, Rabbi Yosef Chaim Kantor, said that the community had been careful to operate in accordance with local law.
“The site was purchased legally, activity there began only after the necessary permits and license had been obtained, and when the renewal application was not approved, we turned to the accepted legal channels," he said.
According to Rabbi Kantor, the cemetery issue recently resurfaced against the backdrop of “tensions and increased scrutiny regarding matters involving Israelis in Thailand." He noted that because approval to renew the license had not been granted over the past two years, the community was required to remove the graves from the site.
“Today, approximately five years after the land was purchased, and with great sorrow and pain, the four graves were relocated from the site," Rabbi Kantor said. He added that the relocation was carried out with the assistance of ZAKA personnel, with sensitivity and strict adherence to respect for the deceased and the requirements of Jewish law.
The graves were transferred to a large, existing cemetery where the community purchased several plots designated for Jewish burial.
Rabbi Kantor expressed hope that “the tensions will subside and that we will be able to continue living and operating in Thailand with mutual respect and good relations with the Thai people and the country’s authorities."
