A photograph published in the Malaysian media shows Mr Neoh, a cake seller from Penang, and his family posing happily at a restaurant in Bangkok, their table laden with Thai dishes and glasses of beer. “I tried to find my family members but they were gone”, said Neoh.
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“I can’t believe our holiday would end like this… this incident is a black mark in our lives”, he said.
The bomb, which was planted at the Erawan Shrine, one of Bangkok’s most famous tourist attractions, killed about 20 people, including foreign tourists, and wounded many others. Their Thai driver is pictured making the peace sign. But four other family members, including Ee Ling’s four-year-old daughter, are confirmed dead and a fifth is presumed to have died.
The family of seven had left for Thailand on Saturday on a train and were supposed to return home today.
Neoh and his eldest daughter Ee Ling, 32. were injured in the incident, while his wife Lim Saw Gek (49), youngest son Jai Jun (20), son-in-law Lee (33) and 4-year-old granddaughter were killed.
Neoh’s 20-year-old son Neoh Jai Jun, a student at university in Taiwan, had returned home to join them on the holiday, The Star reported.
Mr Lim said Ms Neoh had indicated the missing aunt had not survived the attack.
But now the surviving family members are struggling to deal with the aftermath of the attack.
Meanwhile, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Mah Siew Keong said the government would contribute RM10,000 to each family of the victims of Monday’s bomb blast in Bangkok. “They should be punished severely”.
The remains of the four arrived at the Penang worldwide Airport at 11pm yesterday before being sent to their respective residences for prayer rites. Thavornsiri said his features were gleaned partly from security footage taken of him at the shrine in the minutes before the attack.
Workers cemented the crater before it reopened to the public early Wednesday.
He said the grieving family had not told Ms Neoh’s elderly grandmother, 71, what had happened.
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Two of the injured Malaysians were identified as Tan Eui Hun, 29, and Tan Kim Siok, 52, both from Kelantan.
