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Outrage in Thailand: Jewish Cemetery License Refused, Four Kvarim Forced to Move

In a deeply troubling development, Thai authorities refused to renew the operating license of the Jewish cemetery near Bangkok, despite the property having been legally purchased and the cemetery having previously received the required government approval. The decision ultimately forced the Jewish community to relocate the graves of four Yidden buried at the site, with the sensitive operation carried out by ZAKA in accordance with Halacha and the utmost respect for the deceased • Read More, Photos

For approximately 30 years, the Jewish cemetery in Bangkok has served the Jewish community in Thailand. In 2021, after the existing cemetery was nearing capacity and in preparation for the community’s needs, the Jewish community purchased a large tract of land in the Chachoengsao area, outside Bangkok, to establish a new Jewish cemetery.

The community received the necessary approvals and a license from the Thai authorities to operate the site as a cemetery. The license was issued for a three-year period, in accordance with the procedure in Thailand requiring such licenses to be renewed every three years. During the licensed period, four Jews were buried at the site.

When the three-year period ended in 2024, the community submitted an application to renew the license, as required. This time, however, the authorities did not approve the renewal. The community subsequently appealed the decision in court, and the legal proceedings remain pending.

“The Property Was Purchased Legally”

Rabbi Yosef Chaim Kantor, Shliach of the Rebbe and Chief Rabbi of Thailand, emphasized that the community has consistently operated in accordance with Thai law.

“Throughout all our years of activity in Thailand, we have made sure to operate in accordance with Thai law, respecting the laws of the country and its authorities and cooperating with them. This is also how we acted in this case. The property was purchased legally, activity at the site began only after receiving the required approvals and license, and when our request for renewal was not approved, we turned to the accepted legal channels.”

According to Rabbi Kantor, the issue of the cemetery resurfaced amid increased scrutiny in Thailand in recent months concerning Israelis and foreigners in the country. Since the license had not been renewed for the past two years, the community was ultimately required to relocate the graves.

“Today, approximately five years after the property was purchased, and with great sorrow and pain, the four graves were relocated from the site,” Rabbi Kantor said. “The relocation was carried out with the assistance of ZAKA personnel, with great sensitivity and with full attention to the honor of the deceased and all requirements of Jewish law.”

The graves were transferred to an established cemetery in Chonburi Province, where the Jewish community had acquired designated plots for Jewish burial, ensuring that the deceased would be laid to rest with dignity in an authorized location.

Rabbi Kantor expressed his appreciation to all those who assisted with the sensitive and complicated operation.

“The Jewish community in Thailand has lived and operated in this country for decades, with deep respect for the Thai people, the laws of the country and its authorities.

“We hope and pray that, with Hashem’s help, matters will be resolved peacefully, 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, as we have been privileged to do for more than 30 years—each according to his faith and his way, and with respect for the path of the other.”