Foreign Affairs Minister Maris Sangiampongsa on Tuesday ordered officials at the Thai embassy in Japan to investigate the death of a Thai trainee whose body was found at a Thai restaurant in Hiroshima last week.
The body of Kornnaphat Promsung, 25, was found nearly a month after he was reported missing by his relatives.
The native of Loei province had graduated from Loei Technical College and was scheduled to complete his three-year apprenticeship with Ota Chuzosho Co, a metal-casting company in Hiroshima, in April.
His aunt Nannaphat Tanming said earlier that Kornnaphat had joined a New Year party at a company employees’ dormitory on Dec 21, 2024.
After the party, Kornnaphat and his colleagues visited a Thai restaurant in Hiroshima, about 50 kilometres from his workplace. At the restaurant, he contacted his girlfriend on a video call and they chatted until about 2am on Dec 22 Thailand time.
The aunt said Kornnaphat disappeared from the restaurant later that night.
Ms Nannaphat said she called the management of the restaurant to inquire about her nephew’s whereabouts but to no avail. Local police subsequently checked local accident reports but found no trace of Kornnaphat anywhere.
Last week, she said, she was informed that Kornnaphat had been found dead on a fire exit at the restaurant.
She said she had asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Labour to seek assistance with the investigation into the death and the return of her nephew’s body but had not received a response.