Cremation halted as thai woman believed to be dead, knocks on coffin

International

A planned cremation at a Buddhist temple near Bangkok was abruptly stopped after staff heard faint knocking from inside a coffin — only to discover the supposed “deceased” woman was still alive.

A report by BBC stated that the 65-year-old woman had been brought to Wat Rat Prakhong Tham temple in Nonthaburi province for cremation.

Her brother, believing she had died after an extended illness, transported her from Phitsanulok.

Temple manager Pairat Soodthoop told reporters that as the cremation preparations began, staff heard a faint knock from inside the coffin. He immediately ordered it opened — and to everyone’s surprise, the woman opened her eyes slightly, moved, and knocked again.

According to Pairat, the woman had been bedridden for about two years and reportedly became unresponsive two days before. Her brother, believing she had breathed her last, first tried to donate her organs in Bangkok — but was turned away because there was no official death certificate.

After the hospital declined, the family turned to the temple, which offers free cremation services. As staff explained the absence of proper documentation, the unexpected knocking alerted them to the dire mistake.

Medical staff later said the woman suffered from severe hypoglycaemia — low blood sugar — which can mimic the signs of death. She was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

The temple vowed to cover her medical expenses. The incident has since drawn widespread attention, raising serious concerns about the procedures used to declare death before cremation.(Diana Victoria, USJ-R Comm Intern)