Cremation - wood or gas

[simoh1490]

The subject arose in a separate thread where somebody claimed that 90% of crematoriums in Thailand are gas fired. Well I've lived here for 16 years and I've never heard of a single one and I've certainly never seen one in all the funerals I've been to - all have involved men with bottles of petrol where the body is inside a casing that is stacked with wood. What I continue to see around the North where I live is stand alone crematoria with a tall chimney but none involve gas. I had always understood that this was due in part to the local population wanting chunky remains rather than dust placed in the urn.

 

Anyone, perhaps we can settle this point, I suspect the final answer will be that gas is used in newer and more wealthy crematoria but let's see.

[Thongkorn]

They are gas fired , a few out in the sticks still use wood. But wood is expensive now.

[simoh1490]

1 minute ago, Thongkorn said:

They are gas fired , a few out in the sticks still use wood. But wood is expensive now.

Is that based on what you think, have read, have seen or...?

[Thongkorn]

5 minutes ago, simoh1490 said:

Is that based on what you think, have read, have seen or...?

Have seen. It and spoke to Monks about it. Gas is basically more convenient. There are still some traditional cremations about but you will have to look around. As I have said if your out in the sticks they may still use wood . And not just any wood. The heat needed to. Burn bone is fanomnal. They still sometimes have to crush the pelvis skull and femers .

[kwonitoy]

The three cremations I've witnessed out in the sticks (Issan) as you say have all been wood fired.

As for heat I was there when my wife's uncles remains were retrieved and it was pretty much all dust, just some fragments of bone left

I would imagine gas would be used in Bangkok or other cities, but in country wood

[transam]

I buried my chums remains in his garden, his skull was given me in a gold bucket, the rest was in a bin bag...Obviously not enough heat to finish the job..

 

Another I know of they had to buy petrol, he was a big chap...

 

But a place near me has state of the art stuff, how it is powered l don't know, but l could here a loud hum coming from the oven...