Tanee Sangrat, the Thai ambassador to South Korea, has confirmed the death of two Thai nationals, identified as Jongluk Doungmanee, 45 and Sirithon Chaue, 22, in a fiery plane crash.
A Jeju Air plane carrying 181 people from Thailand to South Korea crashed on arrival at Muan International Airport on Sunday morning, smashing into a barrier and bursting into flames, leaving all but two feared dead. Two Thai nationals were among the 179 who perished on the Boeing 737-800 flight.
Mr Tanee expressed his deepest condolences.
"I wish to extend my heartfelt sympathies to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives or were injured in this unfortunate incident”, he said.
"The Royal Thai Embassy in Seoul has been informed that two Thai nationals were on board the flight. We are verifying their status and stand ready to provide necessary assistance. "Thai citizens who have been affected by this tragedy can contact the embassy’s emergency telephone numbers at +82 10 6747 0095 and +82 10 3099 2955.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with all those impacted by this disaster. We hope for strength and resilience for everyone during this challenging time," he said.
In a message on X, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra expressed her condolences to the bereaved family members and those injured.
She said she had instructed the Foreign Affairs Ministry to help the families of the Thai victims quickly and provide her with regular updates.
Government spokesman Jirayu Houngsub said Ms Paetongtarn instructed the Thai embassy in Seoul to coordinate efforts to help victims' families. They will be informed about the situation regularly, he said.
Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit said agencies under the ministry are ready to assist the victims' families. He said he also instructed agencies involved in the aviation industry to ensure maximum safety for air passengers in line with international standards.
A bird strike and adverse weather conditions were cited by authorities as likely causes of the crash that flung passengers out of the plane and left it “almost completely destroyed”, according to fire officials.
However, some experts cast doubt on the theory, pointing out that the weather was sunny and there may have been some other reason the landing gear was not deployed.
Video showed the Jeju Air plane landing on its belly at Muan International Airport, skidding off the runway as smoke streamed from the engines, before crashing into a wall and exploding in flames.
“Passengers were ejected from the aircraft after it collided with the wall, leaving little chance of survival,” a local fire official told families at a briefing.
“The plane is almost completely destroyed, and identifying the deceased is proving difficult. The process is taking time as we locate and recover the remains,” he said.
Only two people were rescued, both flight attendants, and 124 people were confirmed dead by mid-afternoon, the fire department said.
An AFP photographer saw the burned-out wreckage of the aircraft on the runway at Muan — some 288 kilometres southwest of Seoul — as firefighters and emergency vehicles worked nearby.
The accident took place at 9:03 am on Sunday during the landing of Jeju Air Flight 2216, the Ministry of Land of South Korea said, with 175 passengers, including two Thai nationals, and six crew onboard.
“It took approximately three minutes from the control tower’s mention of a bird strike warning to the aircraft’s attempt to land on the runway again,” it said.
Two minutes before the crash, the pilot issued a Mayday call, it added.
When asked if the accident happened due to the runway being too short — video shows the plane coming off the tarmac and hitting a wall — the official said this was likely not a factor.