Meanwhile, the NNT also confirmed that Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha, is scheduled to visit Phuket today to meet rescue teams.
The announcement made on the identifications was made by the Director of the Police General Hospital, Lt Gen Dr Witoon Nitiwarangkul, who said the Royal Thai Police will soon establish a committee responsible for determining which bodies can be returned to their families.
The NNT report, issued at 10:59am today (July 9) also states that the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation (PPAO, or OrBorJor) has established three One Stop Service centres to screen the relatives of the victims, register the wounded and the deceased. The centres also arrange meetings for victims and families to meet with Chinese officials, representatives from insurance companies and administrative officers. (See report here.)
The centres are also managing the return of the bodies to their homelands. One of the three centres is at Vachira Phuket Hospital.
Meanwhile, authorities have established a centre in Phuket International Airport to facilitate the transportation of the bodies back to their countries, the NNT report confirms.
Relatives of the victims are urged to contact the immigration office at the airport, where officials will quickly process their passports and help them contact and reach one of the three One Stop Service centres. A translator will also be provided for each family.
Various mobile phone operators are also providing free services to the families of the victims to communicate with authorities back in China.
Meanwhile, a report 6:12pm yesterday (July 8) stated that Government Spokesman, Lt Gen Sansern Kaewkamnerd, said Gen Prayut would today fly to Phuket to observe the operations assisting victims of tourist boat accidents. After that, the Prime Minister will visit Chiang Rai to follow up the rescue operation to bring the 13 young survivors out of Tham Luang cave.
The Prime Minister will be travelling by air and arriving in Phuket at 11am, where he will visit the operations command centre and Vachira Phuket Hospital where rescued tourists are receiving medical treatment.
"The Prime Minister has been closely monitoring the operations in both provinces, and wished all people working on these operations to complete their mission successfully, as Thai people across the nation are sending their moral support and prayers to those involved," the Government Spokesman said. (See report here.)