The relatives of a Loei man who is believed to have been murdered in Japan back in December are urging Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra to help negotiate the repatriation of his body back to his hometown.
The appeal was launched by Nannaphat Tanming, the victim's aunt, who reached out to Loei Independent Media Club on Monday to get her story out.
The body of Kornnaphat Promsung, 25, was found in the back of a Thai restaurant in Hiroshima last week, about a month after he was reported missing by his relatives.
Kornnaphat, who went to Hiroshima to take part in a training programme with Chuzosho Co Ltd and Hiroshima Sokeizai Centre back in 2022, was scheduled to return to Thailand in April.
He was last seen alive on Dec 21 at a party organised by his colleagues at their dormitory.
Later that night, he and nine other people decided to join another party at a Thai restaurant.
Kornnaphat last spoke with his family and girlfriend in Thailand around 2am, Bangkok time, but the connection was abruptly cut off.
His relatives reached out to the programme manager, who reported him as missing on Dec 23. Police then checked local accident reports but found no trace of Kornnaphat anywhere.
Ms Nannaphat said she had tried to get the Department of Labour Protection and Welfare at the Labour Ministry to investigate the case but received no response to her queries.
She said she also contacted the Thai restaurant where Kornnaphat was last seen, but also received no response.
Kornnaphat's body was found on the emergency stairway of the Thai restaurant sometime last week.
Ms Nannaphat said that the family believed that her nephew was murdered, so they are keen to go to Japan to get to the bottom of the case.
The family has contacted the Thai consulate-general in Hiroshima to help facilitate the repatriation of Kornnaphat's remains to Thailand, but they have yet to receive any response, she said.
As such, she decided to approach the media in the hope that the family's request to have Kornnaphat's remains returned to Thailand would reach Ms Paetongtarn.
"We've also tried to contact Japanese authorities to discuss legal procedures and investigation. We've received no response," she said.
