Wat Mahathat temple in Nakhon Phanom province has temporarily suspended its cremation services due to a fuel shortage, impacting local residents who depend on the temple for funeral rites. On March 15, 2026, reports confirmed that the temple in Mueang district had stopped accepting bodies and closed its crematorium due to this issue. The fuel scarcity arose as petrol stations refused to sell fuel in containers, making it difficult for the temple to maintain necessary reserves.
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Phra Khru Samu Kittichai Sukhawattano, the temple’s deputy abbot, explained that the temple had announced the suspension on its Facebook page. The temple’s cremation furnace, requiring approximately 90 litres of oil costing 3,000 baht per service, cannot function without sufficient fuel reserves. Previously, the temple kept fuel reserves up to 100 litres, but recent petrol station policies now limit purchases to 500 baht and refuse to fill containers.
The deputy abbot mentioned that families could provide their own fuel for cremations, though they might encounter similar purchasing challenges. Wat Mahathat is vital to the local community, offering cremation services for unclaimed bodies and averaging at least 10 such services monthly. If the suspension persists, it could severely impact residents, particularly poor families relying on the temple for affordable services.
The temple urges provincial authorities to intervene with petrol station operators to allow the purchase of fuel in necessary amounts for cremations. It seeks to reduce the impact on the community by requesting special permissions. The situation highlights the temple's dependency on external cooperation to continue its important social and cultural role. reported The Nation.
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Adapted by ASEAN Now · The Nation · 16 Mar 2026