Authorities in Thailand have ordered the removal of three Jewish bodies from a beis hakvaros in Chachoengsao Province after determining that they were buried after the site’s operating license had expired.

Thailand’s deputy interior minister, Phonphiphat Suwanchuay, issued the directive following a visit Monday to the beis hakvaros in Bang Khla. A fourth niftar, who was buried while the license remained valid, was not included in the removal order, although officials were instructed to review that burial as well.

The operator of the beis hakvaros received a license in 2021 that expired in 2023. An application to renew it was rejected after provincial authorities claimed the site did not comply with legal requirements concerning its distance from roads and tunnels. An appeal was rejected by the interior minister, and legal proceedings remain pending before Thailand’s Administrative Court.

Chabad shliach in Bangkok Rabbi Nechemya Wilhelm said the property outside the city was purchased approximately five years ago because Bangkok’s longtime Jewish cemetery is nearly full. He stressed that the site had originally received a legal license.

Rabbi Wilhelm said he believes the latest move is connected to a recent wave of hostility toward Israelis and Jews in Thailand. He said the Jewish community will continue operating within the law and, if ultimately required to relocate the bodies, will ensure that everything is carried out strictly in accordance with halacha.

Officials have also ordered a broader examination of licenses for other cemeteries across Thailand.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)