Chachoengsao orders demolition of Jewish cemetery within seven days

Chachoengsao officials yesterday, September 7, ordered structures at the proposed Jewish cemetery in Bang Khla district to be demolished and gave seven days for bodies at the site to be moved to a licensed facility.

Chachoengsao Governor Chattraporn Niyom issued provincial order No. 2037/2569 in her capacity as a local official. The order applies to the Jewish Cemetery Thailand in Samed Tai subdistrict, Bang Khla district.

Under the order, structures at the site must be demolished, while bodies buried or kept there must be transferred to a properly licensed private cemetery or crematorium within seven days of acknowledgement of the order.

Chattraporn also instructed the Bang Khla district chief and relevant agencies to monitor compliance and provide regular progress reports closely.

Separately, Kittipong Sileuang, president of the Samed Tai Subdistrict Administrative Organisation (SAO), issued three orders which were posted at the cemetery entrance on September 7.

One notice prohibits the use of buildings at the site under Samed Tai SAO order No. 527/2569. Anyone violating the order could face up to six months in prison, a fine of up to 100,000 baht, or both under Section 67 of the Building Control Act 1979.

The cemetery’s licence expired on December 31, 2023. The Bang Khla district chief subsequently refused to renew it because the location did not meet requirements under Section 12, paragraph two, of the Cemeteries and Crematoria Act and related ministerial regulations.

The Bang Khla district chief has called an urgent meeting with relevant agencies, subdistrict headmen and village heads at about 10am today, September 8, to follow up on the case.

The cemetery proposal had previously raised concerns among Samed Tai residents, particularly over nearby natural water sources. The permit extension was later rejected, and the case was taken to court.

The issue intensified after an inspection on September 4 that found four apparent burial sites. Kittipong said one appeared to be covered by the former permit, while the other three were believed to have been used after it expired.

Chachoengsao orders demolition of Jewish cemetery within seven days

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