Staff at a Buddhist temple in Thailand experienced a terrifying shock when a woman, brought in for cremation, was discovered to be alive inside her coffin.
The Chilling Discovery at Wat Rat Prakhong Tham
The incident unfolded at Wat Rat Prakhong Tham temple in the province of Nonthaburi, on the outskirts of Bangkok. Temple staff were preparing for a cremation service when they heard a faint knocking sound coming from a white coffin in the back of a pick-up truck.
Pairat Soodthoop, the temple's general and financial affairs manager, described the moment of discovery. "I was a bit surprised, so I asked them to open the coffin, and everyone was startled," he said. "I saw her opening her eyes slightly and knocking on the side of the coffin. She must have been knocking for quite some time."
A Long Journey and a Tragic Misunderstanding
According to Pairat, the 65-year-old woman had been driven to the temple by her brother from the distant province of Phitsanulok, a journey of approximately 300 miles. The brother explained that his sister had been bedridden for about two years, and her health had severely deteriorated, leaving her unresponsive.
He believed she had stopped breathing two days prior. Following her previously stated wish to donate her organs, he placed her in a coffin and made the long journey to a hospital in Bangkok. However, the hospital refused to accept her for organ donation because the brother did not possess an official death certificate.
From Near-Cremation to Hospital Care
With the hospital unable to help, the brother approached Wat Rat Prakhong Tham on Sunday, drawn by its offer of a free cremation service. The temple also had to refuse the service due to the missing death certificate.
It was while Pairat was explaining the necessary procedures to obtain the document that the faint knocking from the coffin was heard. After opening the coffin and confirming the woman was alive, the temple staff quickly assessed her condition and arranged for her to be sent to a nearby hospital for proper medical attention.
In a compassionate conclusion to the harrowing event, the temple's abbot stated that the temple would cover her medical expenses.
