NARATHIWAT, Thailand – Defense Minister Lt. Gen. Adul Boonthamcharoen presided over the third evening of the funeral rite on July 25 for Sgt. Maj. 1st Class Theerayut Somakoet in Surat Thani province, where family members, senior military officers, government officials, and members of the public gathered to pay their respects. The ceremony at Wat Phanom was held under royal patronage in recognition of Sgt. Maj. 1st Class Theerayut’s service and sacrifice. He was assigned to Ranger Company 4509, 45th Ranger Regiment, and was killed in the July 22 attack on the Bukeh Sami security checkpoint in Ra-ngae district, Narathiwat province.
Lt. Gen. Adul was joined by Gen. Chaiyapruek Duangprapat, chief of the Army General Staff and secretary-general of ISOC, and Lt. Gen. Norathip Poinok, commander of the Fourth Army Area, along with other military commanders. Sgt. Maj. 1st Class Theerayut’s royal cremation ceremony is scheduled for July 30. Military officials said the funeral honors his service while offering support to his family, fellow soldiers, and security personnel serving in Thailand’s southern border provinces. (NNT)
