Cremation insurance???

[Jools]

Is there anything like "cremation insurance" in Thailand. I am told that if the American Embassy has to pay to have me cremated, they will go after my relatives in the USA to recover costs. I do not want my family bothered. I live in Pattaya and will most likely die here. Any information on options and cost for covering cremation and final expenses will be appreciated.

 

 

 

 

[sanemax]

You can get one done in a village for about 5000 Baht, that price includes the wood and two Monks the day before and six Monks on the day , 

[KittenKong]

3 minutes ago, sanemax said:

You can get one done in a village for about 5000 Baht, that price includes the wood and two Monks the day before and six Monks on the day , 

 

How much for just the wood?

 

Some of us dont see the point in monks.

[Jools]

I should clarify that I am not really interested in a Buddhist ceremony, just the cremation and the costs involved. I am sure that it would be more for a farang but that's not really important. I just want to know what my options are for having this done. I am not interested in repatriation of ashes or .any of that nonsense.

[sanemax]

4 minutes ago, KittenKong said:

 

How much for just the wood?

 

Some of us dont see the point in monks.

I do think that they are compulsory 

[thequietman]

1 hour ago, KittenKong said:

 

How much for just the wood?

 

Some of us dont see the point in monks.

Amazing isn't it!

 

The people of the village donate the land. The people in the village donate the money to build and maintain the Wat. The people in the village are constantly asked for money when Buddah runs out of cash.

However when you die, they (the monks) charge them to get cremated.

Amazing!

[KhunBENQ]

5 hours ago, Jools said:

I live in Pattaya and will most likely die here

So I guess you live alone here.

With a Thai wife/family such "wood only" procedure would be unthinkable, a big shame, loss of face.

Happened only once in the village over the years with a young homeless alcoholic who was found dead in an abandoned house.

[nausea]

Yeah, it might be useful for some to carry a card stating funeral costs covered. Anecdotally, some years ago I was told the story of an old Western guy, a long time local fixture, the "only Farang in the village" so to speak. His body was left hanging in limbo, cos of problems finding relatives to cover the costs. The speaker's point was that the general ambience of friendliness and goodwill we were experiencing locally was in many ways a surface charade - no-one locally was going to do this guy's funeral gratis, long term fixture or not, they'd just leave the body to rot. The speaker had an agenda, obviously. I don't know how "pauper's" and "Embassy" funerals might fit into that story, it all happened many, many years ago.

Edited November 13, 2017 by nausea
Spelling

[NancyL]

No Embassy is going to pay for someone's cremation.  They will contact the deceased's Next-of-Kin and pressure them to pay for the cremation.  If no one comes forward, then the body will be left in the hospital morgue.  Sometimes the body of a foreigner can remain in the morgue at Chiang Mai's Suan Dok hospital, unclaimed, for months.  If the deceased's friends makes inquiries about wanting to give their friend a proper send-off, they will be pressured into paying for the cost if no relative has come forward.  One problem is that the hospital involved will also want the cost of the final hospital bill covered, too.

 

Here in Chiang Mai, eventually a Buddhist charity will give a pauper's cremation to bodies left unclaimed for several months.  Friends and relatives are not notified of the time or place.  After all, if they had cared enough to want to be present at the modest service given to the deceased, then they should have been willing to pay.

 

The cost of unpaid hospital bills at government hospitals for people who die without anyone claiming their body is a cause of concern for the Thai government.

 

 

 

 

[Jools]

13 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

So I guess you live alone here.

With a Thai wife/family such "wood only" procedure would be unthinkable, a big shame, loss of face.

Happened only once in the village over the years with a young homeless alcoholic who was found dead in an abandoned house.

Totally unconcerned about shame or "loss of face". Both artificial Thai concepts that make less sense than western norms. I just want to cover myself for the eventual. They can feed me to the sharks after I am gone. I really could not care less. It sounds like donating my body to a hospital is going to be the best route to go.

[FritsSikkink]

2 hours ago, Jools said:

Totally unconcerned about shame or "loss of face". Both artificial Thai concepts that make less sense than western norms. I just want to cover myself for the eventual. They can feed me to the sharks after I am gone. I really could not care less. It sounds like donating my body to a hospital is going to be the best route to go.

Make sure they only pick you up when you are dead.