Surin: A large crowd gathered at Wat Klang Buachet Temple in Surin Province to attend the cremation ceremony for Private Ratthaphum. His father expressed relief that more people understood his son. Wat Klang Buachet, Buachet District, Surin Province, is the location of the funeral rites for Private Ratthaphum Thepsiri, belonging to the 1623rd Infantry Company, who shot and injured two teenagers on August 15th. He was later found dead in the forest along the Ban Khuean Kaeo irrigation canal in Kab Choeng District. Today, the cremation ceremony for Private Ratthaphum was held amidst great grief from his relatives and colleagues, as well as from his unit.
According to Thai News Agency, before the ceremony, an honor guard paid respects to the body. The District Chief of Buachet presided over the ceremony to offer a funeral pyre. After that, those who attended the ceremony laid flowers. Before the ceremony, many agencies, organizations, and citizens joined together to donate money from various funds to the family of Private Ratthaphum.
Mr. Prayoon, the father, expressed relief after the initial news about his son affected the family's mental health. The news was later corrected to reflect the facts, and many people came to offer support. He told his son one last time that he had done his best, and he was very proud of him. He admitted that someone had asked for a copy of the bank account number to open for donations, but he didn't open it himself and would close donations this Monday (August 18th). He didn't know how much money had been received. His younger brother told him he would transfer 50,000 baht, but initially he didn't mind, as he and his family were busy with their son's matters. He also denied the rumors about the 10 million baht, saying it was completely untrue.
Private Ratthaphum's sister tearfully stated that her brother had always been a good person, dedicated and committed. Although he had not achieved a high level of education, he was diligent and responsible in his work. He had consistently sent money to support the family, and he had supported her through school until she was nearly finished. However, her brother passed away before she could do so. He had said he wanted to see his sister become a civil servant teacher, so she was determined to fulfill her brother's wishes.