The body of the Thai woman killed by the huge earthquake in Turkey will be flown home by a Thai air force plane on Thursday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday.
The Thai embassy in Ankara had distributed survival kits and necessities to Thai people affected by the quake that devastated southern Turkey and parts of northern Syria a week ago, and moved them out of the disaster area, ministry spokeswoman Kanchana Patarachoke said.
On Thursday, a Thai air force plane would depart for Turkey with disaster relief supplies, which were urgently needed. These included large tents, blankets, portable power generators and dried rations. The aircraft was scheduled to land at Ankara Esenboga international airport about 6am local time.
Ms Kanchana said the embassy in Ankara would assist quake-hit Thais who wished to return home on the plane, which would also bring back the body of the Thai woman who was killed. It was scheduled to depart from Ankara Esenboga airport at 9am local time on Thursday.
The Thai victim was Chamaiporn Homsantia, 28, who was reportedly asleep when the 7.8 magnitude quake struck the southern Turkish town of Iskenderun, where she worked as a traditional masseuse.
The Ministry of Labour said Chamaiporn was from Chaiyaphum province and went to work in Turkey by herself. She was not a member of the department’s Thailand Overseas Employment Administration Fund, which provides compensation for workers injured or killed overseas.
The social security office of Chaiyaphum said Chamaiporn quit the social security fund in 2015 and had pending benefits of only 15,017 baht. The money had been paid to her family for funeral arrangements.
Chaiyaphum governor Sopon Suwanrat on Monday visited her home village in tambon Huay Yae, Nong Bua Rawe district. He gave the family 5,000 baht from his pocket to show his support.