Thai Ambassador to Korea Commemorates Bravery of Thai Korean War Veterans during Interment Ceremony
On 12 December 2025, H.E. Mr. Tanee Sangrat, Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, participated in the interment ceremony for the ashes of Reserve Sergeant (Navy) Manoch Pummaneekorn and Private Narong (Kae) Yeamniyom, two Thai Korean War veterans, at the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Korea (UNMCK) in Busan. Ambassador Tanee commemorated and praised the bravery and sacrifice of both veterans who fought to defend the Republic of Korea and preserve peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula as part of the UN Command forces. The Ambassador emphasised that this shared history of fighting shoulder-to-shoulder between both nations remains the bedrock of the Thai-ROK Strategic Partnership today.
During the Ceremony, Mr. Lee Nam-il, Director-General of the Busan Regional Office for Patriots and Veterans Affairs, and Lt. General Derek Macaulay, Deputy Commander of the UN Command, also praised the sacrifice of the two veterans. Ms. Sawangjit Pummaneekorn and Mr. Ropphiset Yeamniyom, the veterans' descendants, provided closing remarks at the Ceremony.
Reserve Sergeant (Navy) Manoch served on board the HTMS Bangpakong in the War, during which the Thai warship provided naval gunfire support for UN Command ground operations, notably providing fire support on the east coast of North Korea. As part of two deployments on the Peninsula, Private Narong fought under the 21st Regimental Combat Team in battles around Seoul and above the 38th Parallel.