A startling incident unfolded at a temple in Nonthaburi province, Thailand, Monday when staff discovered a 65-year-old woman exhibiting signs of life inside her coffin as cremation preparations began. The case, reported by the Associated Press, highlights the complexities surrounding declarations of death and cultural funeral practices in the region. A video of the event quickly circulated online, showing visible movement from within the coffin and prompting immediate medical attention for the woman.
AP
—
A woman in Thailand startled temple staff Monday when she began to move inside her coffin as preparations were underway for her cremation. The incident, which occurred at Wat Rat Prakhong Tham in Nonthaburi province, just outside of Bangkok, highlights cultural practices surrounding death and mourning in the region.
A video posted to the temple’s Facebook page shows the woman lying in a white coffin in the back of a pickup truck, exhibiting slight movements of her arms and head. The unexpected activity left those present visibly perplexed.
Pairat Soodthoop, the temple’s general and financial manager, told the Associated Press that the 65-year-old woman’s brother had brought her to the temple from Phitsanulok province for cremation.
Staff initially noticed a faint tapping sound coming from within the coffin.
“I was quite surprised, so I asked them to open the coffin, and everyone was shocked,” Soodthoop said. “I saw her slightly opening her eyes and tapping on the side of the coffin. She must have been tapping for quite some time.”
According to Soodthoop, the woman’s brother explained that she had been bedridden for approximately two years, her health steadily declining until she appeared to stop breathing two days prior. He then placed her in the coffin and began the 500-kilometer journey to a hospital in Bangkok, where she had previously expressed a desire to donate her organs.
The hospital, however, rejected the brother’s request due to the lack of an official death certificate, Soodthoop explained. The temple offers a free cremation service, so the brother contacted them on Sunday, but was also initially turned away for the same reason.
Soodthoop said he was explaining the process of obtaining a death certificate when the tapping sounds were heard. The woman was then examined and transported to a nearby hospital.
The temple abbot has agreed to cover the woman’s medical expenses, according to Soodthoop.
