The body of the final Thai victim to be recovered after last week's Lao Airlines crash arrived in Bangkok on Thursday.
A Bangkok Airways charter flight carrying the body of PTT Pcl worker Nipol Mengsee, landed at Don Mueang International Airport about 4pm. His parents, two brothers and sisters and PTT executives were there to meet the body.
The body was later taken to Wat Nua temple in tambon Ban Nua of Muang district in Kanchanaburi for funeral rites.
The rites began on Thursday and will run until Sunday. The cremation will be held on Monday, said Nipol's mother, Thongpien Chaichanakuldee.
Nipol was among the five Thais on board Lao Airlines Flight QV 301 which crashed into the Mekong River near Don Khor islet on Oct 16 while attempting to land at Pakse International Airport.
The airline later announced that bad weather resulting from Tropical Storm Nari was partly to blame.
The body of Nipol was recovered from the river on Wednesday. The bodies of the four other Thais _ Phakkawat Atiratanachai, Kanueng Chartkasamchai, Veekij Busarawuthanu and Yanyong Apaanan _ arrived in Bangkok earlier this week. The five Thais were among 44 passengers and five crew killed in the Lao Airlines plane crash. So far 44 bodies have been retrieved from the river, along with 30 body parts.
In Pakse, Yakua Lopangkao, director-general of Laos' Department of Civil Aviation, said Lao rescuers were still trying to recover the other bodies, the front of the fuselage and the black box.
Mr Yakua said the rescuers knew the position of the black box but found it difficult to reach because of strong river currents and muddy water.
He said Vientiane has not yet determined when the rescuers will end their operations.
Meanwhile, the Vientiane Times reported on its website yesterday that the Lao government is drawing up regulations to govern online social media following the circulation of incorrect and misleading information about last week's crash.
The media quoted the Ministry of Post and Telecommunication's E-Government Centre director-general Phonpasit Phissamay as saying new regulations, which would enable officials to check on those posting incorrect or inappropriate information and photos, would come into force later this year.
Those found culpable would be given a warning and, if the case led to serious consequences or was regarded as sensitive, the offenders would be punished.
Mr Phonpasit said the ministry would seek cooperation from internet service providers to manage social media.
The director used information and pictures circulated about the ill-fated flight as an example of inappropriate social media usage. Numerous pictures were posted showing a crashed plane that was not related to the accident, and one man was forced to make an announcement on Facebook that he was not among the 49 crash victims following the circulation of incorrect information.