The Thai Repatriation- and Funeral Service AsiaOne has experienced their first dead Scandinavian client with COVID-19 as the cause of death. The nationality of the deceased Scandinavian is confidential information.
AsiaOne is a well-known repatriation service specialized in sending home the remains of deceased foreigners who died in Thailand: essentially making sure the remains of the deceased are well taken care of and “get home” safely and in good condition.
AsiaOne believes that the current situation will bring a change to their daily operation and method of handling deceased persons.
“We are very prepared for cases where the deceased has died of the coronavirus. But it will surely be very different, as the repatriation-team needs to wear protective gear such as suits, gloves, goggles, masks, helmets or other equipment to protect our team,” says Jessica Thurdnampetch, the Managing Director of AsiaOne.
“We also need an increased amount of attention and workers to take the proper safety precautions,” Jessica Thurdnampetch adds.
Due to the novel COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand and the many foreigners from all over the world that live in different regions of Thailand, AsiaOne advises families and insurance companies to consider the option of local cremation and only repatriate the ashes of the deceased to their home countries when flights become available. Due to the many restrictions on logistics imposed by the local Thai governors, where many have made movement between regions difficult – for example Phuket, where the borders have been closed, and the nationwide curfew, Asiaone considers the option of cremation the best during the current health situation.
Even if everybody hopes against it, should a situation arise where a Scandinavian foreigner dies of the coronavirus and has expressed a wish for their remains to be buried in their homeland, the crew and repatriation team of AsiaOne are ready to handle and repatriate as many cases of deceased foreigners as the situation allows – the only thing that limits them are the flight availability, as several airlines have suspended the operation of their flights.
