Dying in Thailand...

[Such a Hairy Guy]

No not literally, not now anyway. But eventually we must all come to it.

 

My wife & I do not wish for our bodies to be repatriated to our home country ($$$$) but rather if something unfortunate were to happen to us to be disposed of the cheapest way possible. (I wasnt worth a whole lot alive, I doubt very much I need to spend much on the leftovers!)

 

Is this possible? Can someone point us in the right direction to find out how easy/difficult it is? (This being the land of rubber stamps and carbon paper, I have a good idea what the answer might be).

 

In any case, dont want to be a burden for those that follows and would rather have all the t's and i's have the corresponding appendages.

 

Thank you in advance for any insight you can provide.

[CharlieH]

Where? what area are you in so this can be moved for local input. As with all things Thai it can vary from area to area.

[jackdd]

Ask your embassy if you need to do anything special in regards of any regulations, and then at your nearest temple, they should know what to do.

[chickenslegs]

 

52 minutes ago, Such a Hairy Guy said:

In any case, dont want to be a burden for those that follows and would rather have all the t's and i's have the corresponding appendages.

I've been thinking about the same thing and heard this company advertising on the local radio.

https://www.amarinternational.com/pre-planning-funeral.html

 

 

[Jip99]

My Will states that I wish to be cremated in the country in which I die.

[kokesaat]

There are ?funeral home? type companies in Thailand that take care of funeral arrangements.....casket, flowers, food for guests, fireworks, etc etc.  One company in Udon/Bangkok does this, but I'm sure there are many others.  

http://www.s-burapa.com/page/service

http://www.s-burapa.com/page/knowledge

https://www.facebook.com/pages/ร้าน-สบูรพาหีบศพ-อุดรธานี/520546764641991

If the websites come up in Thai, right click and then click on 'translate'

[dcsw53]

Best to get buried at sea.
I decided on doing it this way a couple of years ago when my wife told me should not wait to dance on my grave.

[fhickson]

if you dont care, why bother?

 

most place you are going to want to be have some sort of protocol for disposing of dead bodies.

 

its usually not as difficult as you may imagine and would involve calling local law enforcement, who in turn notifies a local hospital to pick up your body, which is typically cremated at a local medical facility that serves the sick and dying.

 

from there its just someone getting paid to shuffle paperwork. no problem really. life goes on.

 

its all arranged and no trouble really. the person who finds your body being an exception perhaps.

[Pattaya46]

16 minutes ago, Jip99 said:

My Will states that I wish to be cremated in the country in which I die.

And what if that country doesn't accept cremations ? ????

You never know when and where you will die,

could be in any country/airport during a travel transit by example...

[sirineou]

The funeral is not so much for the deceased as it is to ease the grieving for those who remain . But sometimes survivors are pressured in spending more than they can afford. My MIL passed away last year, unfortunately I was not there at the time as I was away on contract, but it was tastefully done  at the local Wat and did not cost a lot of money,

As other have also said, a stipulation in your will give instructions,absolving others from the responsibility. but please take into consideration their feelings,and that  though you might be gone , they remain and have to deal with it.     

[elliss]

18 minutes ago, dcsw53 said:

Best to get buried at sea.
I decided on doing it this way a couple of years ago when my wife told me should not wait to dance on my grave.

 

           Allow her to dance on your grave ,  make sure the water is deep enough ..

 

 

[Jip99]

3 minutes ago, Pattaya46 said:

And what if that country doesn't accept cremations ? ????

You never know when and where you will die,

could be in any country/airport during a travel transit by example...

 

 

You think too much.

 

The instructions stand, no repatriation (unless it happens to be covered by travel insurance to a 3rd party country...i.e. not Thailand or UK - my time is typically split 90%/10% between them with a few other travels thrown in).

[Such a Hairy Guy]

22 minutes ago, fhickson said:

its all arranged and no trouble really. the person who finds your body being an exception perhaps.

Because of all the thumb tacks in my pockets?

[Liverpudlian]

Crocodile farm !  simple ????

[Such a Hairy Guy]

22 minutes ago, Liverpudlian said:

Crocodile farm !  simple ????

Finally a sensible solution! And I get to by useful for once in my life. Mind you I hope the critters are not fussy.

[Jip99]

8 minutes ago, Such a Hairy Guy said:

Finally a sensible solution! And I get to by useful for once in my life. Mind you I hope the critters are not fussy.

 

 

You could donate your body to medical science - mind you they are as fussy as the Crocodiles.... ????

[Moonlover]

1 hour ago, Jip99 said:

 

 

You could donate your body to medical science - mind you they are as fussy as the Crocodiles.... ????

A lot more fussy actually.

[Speedo1968]

I drew up my funeral plans years ago once I realised I will probably die here; came close already.

 

Have already discussed with a close friend and both friend and my family in UK already have details.

Have been to a few funerals here including one falang, the latter had a simple cremation and a few monks for prayers, no party.

 

My own request is for no religious rites, a simple cremation and ashes to be spread here and some in the UK.   ( Some useful info from British Embassy is available regarding returning ashes to the UK, which is normally not a hassle, so I have read, if carried as hand luggage and the relevant death certificate. )

A simple and low cost party, strictly no booze and preferably vegan / vegetarian ( which should keep many away from the free nosh-up ), music of my choice and others who know me (?).

 

The above is the easy bit, the difficult things I found was sorting through who had to be contacted and the documents needed and the time it would take to get all this done.    Get as much procedures written down so that those left behind are able to deal with as limited stress as possible.  Contact numbers etc. etc. eg. pension office in home country, DSS, banks and so on.

 

I have a copy of that, including my will info here and with my family in the UK.

I have tweaked a few things and, after reading the will of a close aunt who recently died realised that I may need to be more exact / simple / clear in how to state my requests regarding my "worldly goods".

 

[Liverpudlian]

1 hour ago, Such a Hairy Guy said:

Finally a sensible solution! And I get to by useful for once in my life. Mind you I hope the critters are not fussy.

as long as you provide a pack of tooth picks all ends up happy both sides .

[Moonlover]

Both my Thai wife and I are in our village insurance cooperative. Whenever there is a death in the community, premiums are collected and the deceased is assured of a funeral service and cremation. Everyone who contributes get the same assurance no matter what the financial situation of the family is. I have been assured that I will get the same treatment.

 

The best suggestion I can make to the O/P is to talk to your Thai friends or neighours about this matter. Maybe they can come up with some useful suggestions. Foreigners certainly can have a local service and cremation. I've been to one such in Udon Thani.

[tutsiwarrior]

I'd just leave the preparations to the family...they'll leave it up to to the ladies at the village to do things the way they were done in the past, the wat for all the ceremonies including the fridge and the crematorium...I didn't have a clue when the wife died...

 

then they hand you a rag fulla ashes for you to get on with the business at the river...no muss or fuss...I'll go out the same way I suppose...

 

 

[Tropicalevo]

Here from memory is my experience. My memory at the time was under some stress.

 

Wife and I are both British

Wife passed away in her sleep.

First - called hospital (private) and they called police.

Hospital could not revive her. They sent her body to the government hospital for an autopsy.

Police came to the house to make sure that there was not a crime scene. No issues there.

The government hospital need a letter from the embassy before they can release the body.

Contacted the embassy. Sent them copies of death certificate, passport, birth certificate, wedding certificate etc.

Receive the letter of release - no problem.

Have to get a letter from the police stating all good (no foul play).

Made arrangements at the local temple for the service.

Wifey is in the morgue, family over from the UK. All ready for the temple and then the hospital started 'playing games'. Need more letters (money). They will not release the body.

Time is running out before the family have to go back to the UK!

I finally called a favour from a Thai guy that I know.

Body is released.

Temple ceremony - all good. Loads of people pay their respects. Tears all round and Wifey has her own spot for her ashes at the temple. I have bought the slot next to hers.

No bill from the private hospital for the 1.5 hours they spent trying to revive wifey.

I had to pay the morgue and storage bills.

 

[Bruce Aussie Chiang Mai]

If you have a Thai wife like mine she will want big send off for me

 Be her money so up to her. Me would like no monks just some my farang friends and wives. 20 cases beer. 30 litres petrol and diesel and match. Keep dring till fire goes out, always could keep on chucking some wood on till beer gone.????❤????????

[elliss]

3 hours ago, Such a Hairy Guy said:

Finally a sensible solution! And I get to by useful for once in my life. Mind you I hope the critters are not fussy.

 

     Take you ATM with you, job done.

       You know it makes sense ...

 

 

[fhickson]

8 hours ago, sirineou said:

The funeral is not so much for the deceased as it is to ease the grieving for those who remain .

talking about arrangements while your alive can be a burden also, especially if you bringing it up constantly at family gatherings, or most especially if it turns to will oriented stuff / division of assets and causes family squabbling.

 

make the arrangements quickly and be done with it.

[henry15]

Donate your body to an university for medical research en training young doctors. Its free en and they cremate your body. When they did, theyley you know.

[IAMHERE]

Leaving your body to science, isn't that old school?  The 'fake' bodies in medical schools are much better than real bodies today. The need for real dead bodies isn't as accute as in the past.

[lujanit]

If you are Australian and die in Thailand the embassy will require a autopsy before they do anything.

[steven100]

1 minute ago, lujanit said:

If you are Australian and die in Thailand the embassy will require a autopsy before they do anything.

I don't want an autopsy, just put me in a box and send me back to Auss.

[ThaiBunny]

3 minutes ago, lujanit said:

If you are Australian and die in Thailand the embassy will require a autopsy before they do anything.

Is that documented anywhere? The only thing I've heard is that the Embassy refused to advise Centrelink that a pensioner had died because there was no official death certificate