PHUKET: The disaster of the crash of Flight MH17 in the Ukraine with 298 passenger and crew lost, many of them children, has touched the tourist holiday island of Phuket, half a world away.

Most of the victims were Dutch, and most of the 80 children who died were Dutch. It was summer holiday time.

''Murderers,'' screamed a newspaper headline in the Netherlands over reports of the poor treatment of the bodies scattered across fields in the Ukraine.

And so a young Ukrainian man travelled to the Dutch consulate on Phuket today and delivered to the Dutch honorary consul, Seven Smulders, a single flower.

''I want you to have this,'' the young man said. ''It is the only thing I could think of to do.''

Mr Smulders was deeply touched by the young man's gesture.

''It was very respectful,'' he said. ''The event is deeply saddening. It is reassuring to know that there are Ukranians who share the sense of loss that we feel.''

The young man was gone as quickly as he came but the moment touched Mr Smulders.

''Our loss is shared by others and we are not alone,'' he said.

Dutch flags are flying at half mast around the world today in memory of the 193 Dutch citizens who were killed.

Forty-three victims were from Malaysia, including 15 crew and two infants, 27 were from Australia, 12 were from Indonesia and 10 were from Britain.