What happens if a farang retiree dies in Thailand ?

[lopburi3]

21 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

One of the most naive and unprepared ways of thinking of too many who live here.

Leave it up to the embassy is not a responsible way to handle it

Actually it is exactly how it is done - the Embassy makes the call on what happens - even if spouse is Thai the Embassy has to release body.  Embassy will normally immediately try to contact next of kin for guidance so good to have updated contact information available in whatever format they provide for such - even if only a page in passport to write the information.  Wills are great and am not advising not having but the body release is an Embassy call AFAIK.  

[pineapple01]

My English friend died here. The Embassy  was informed by the Hospital, so they could stop his pension SAP no doubt . Informed his 2 offspring's who came over for a week or so. Very respectful turn out of Ex Pats and Thais for the the Cremation. Will done i UK and that was it.

[SiSePuede419]

Wherever you go....

 

There you are. ????

[Rimmer]

Troll post removed

[Grumpy one]

Leave my body to rot next to a dried fish vendor, no one will notice the difference in smell  

[checkered flag]

Why not put everything in girlfriend's or boyfriend's name now? Tell them to have a big party. If they pay for the cremation OK, but otherwise the government will decide. 

[Max69xl]

On 6/8/2020 at 5:11 PM, orchis said:

depends on your will and instructions

In some cases it's up to the family back home. 

[448glb]

This reminds me of when my friend cigar Bob died here in pattaya back in 2010. He was an American and had a Thai girlfriend who had an older daughter living with them. First the police come to investigate and looked for money or valuables. I was called to the scene and the cops had me reach my hand into his pocket and there was a big bag of Coke. I heard the crinkle crinkle and put it back in his pocket and the cop said what is that, show it to me, I pulled it out and put it on his chest and told the cop to arrest him. It actually was pretty funny to see the cops face and the anger and disappointment that he couldn’t make big money on it. Anyway to answer the OP, first the cops are called, second the embassy is notified called and they lock up the condo or home and if your girlfriend is not on the lease or the mortgage they tell them to take their personal belongings and to get out until the family sorts everything out. It basically is a big mess. So the moral of the story is to always be prepared not to make a large burden on your family or friends.

[Ginger Tea]

23 hours ago, Captain Monday said:

cremation over "body sent back home". Cremation is forbidden in Islam and I think Judaism but 

in Islam it must be done quickly so a local burial would be proper. 

 

Just get a will.

 

 

On 6/8/2020 at 5:11 PM, orchis said:

depends on your will and instructions

 

On 6/8/2020 at 5:17 PM, hoxman said:

As they say in Thailand "up to you"

 

If coffin or cremation doesn’t appeal to you then you need to make sure you have drawn up legal instructions on what you want to happen next.

 

There are alternatives:

 

https://www.capsulamundi.it/en/

 

 

 

 

https://www.treehugger.com/culture/capsula-mundi-urn-now-available.html

 

 

 

 

https://connectingdirectors.com/56089-mushroom-burial-suit-called-into-question

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 10, 2020 by Ginger Tea

[orchis]

I once had an English man die where I worked, no relatives here. So with his passport in hand we called the consular section at embassy. Police came  down to establish cause of death. Body removed to morgue. Consular services contacted family member home (a sister), didn't want the remains so in the end he got cremated here at little cost. And that was that.

[maprao]

On 6/8/2020 at 2:07 PM, bkk6060 said:

 

Unless they have no family at all and are penniless.  In that case no one will care anyway.

What a nice world you live in.

 

So your family only care about you if you have money? If I were you I would disown the lot of them!

[Kurtf]

He gets cremated. End of story.

[xxeo]

What about the formal identification of the deceased person? Does a family member has to come to Thailand to do this? Or it's okay with the passport, Thai officials, embassy officials?

[Tony125]

On 6/8/2020 at 5:26 PM, Peterw42 said:

Your body wont automatically be flown home unless your friends/relatives arrange and pay for it. A funeral wont automatically happen either, unless friends relatives arrange and pay for it.

If you die in Thailand with no will or friends/relatives to arrange a funeral, you would most likely be cremated as an unclaimed body.

There are usually no burials in Thailand, only cremations.

 

There is a Catholic Church in Pattaya that has a graveyard with many Thai and Farang Catholics buried there some with photos immbeded in head stone

[kiteman9]

I told my wife to surprise me 

[drbeach]

On 6/8/2020 at 5:26 PM, Peterw42 said:

Your body wont automatically be flown home unless your friends/relatives arrange and pay for it. A funeral wont automatically happen either, unless friends relatives arrange and pay for it.

If you die in Thailand with no will or friends/relatives to arrange a funeral, you would most likely be cremated as an unclaimed body.

There are usually no burials in Thailand, only cremations.

 

Unless you're anything but Buddhist or Hindu. Muslim Thais bury their dead, as do some Christians.

[Caine]

On 6/8/2020 at 11:18 AM, thairookie said:

What if you didn't make a will ?  What will the Thai government do to your body ?

Share out any money they find in your pockets, then chuck you on the bonfire 

[Tropposurfer]

On 6/8/2020 at 6:26 PM, OneMoreFarang said:

The embassy will be informed.

The embassy will try to find any family members "back home".

Then these family members should contact a funeral and/or repatriation company in Thailand. Some embassies give names of possible companies to the family.

Then the family contacts one of those repatriation companies and hires them to sort this out.

What the repatriation company will do:

- They talk to the embassy to get the details

- Check for bills to pay, i.e. hospital, etc.

- They talk to the family what the family wants. I.e. repatriation of the body, cremation in Thailand with or without big ceremony, transport or scattering of the ashes.

- Getting documentation from embassy, police, etc.

- Translation of those documents

- Maybe sending personal items to the family

- And many other details.

Cost of such a service is about 50,000B including everything excluding external bills like i.e. hospital.

Holy Moly !!! I'm certainly not worth 50K baht. 

[AgMech Cowboy]

On 6/8/2020 at 6:07 PM, bkk6060 said:

One of the most naive and unprepared ways of thinking of too many who live here.

Leave it up to the embassy is not a responsible way to handle it especially if a person has some assets here and family overseas.  A big guessing game leaving any family with no clue. 

Everyone should have a Thai will and or legal instructions as to how you want things handled.  Also, a trust and will in their home country.

Unless they have no family at all and are penniless.  In that case no one will care anyway.

There are some whose 1st family never call to check on them (or even write). Some who bought a nice home and car for the 2nd family in Thailand, but they moved out and never call them, either. You need only to consider each person's circumstance before issuing such a broad brush stroke to make your statement and give instructions, but I guess you kind of covered it with the last paragraph, but maybe not all are penniless, just abandoned (still paying their insurance, their telephone bills, etc).

Edited June 10, 2020 by AgMech Cowboy

[balo]

I do no think its important what happens after my death, if some fish wants to eat me I'm fine with that. 
 

[Deerculler]

Get your affairs inorder before you die.

Don't leave a mess for others to sort out.

[DaRoadrunner]

What happens if a farang retiree dies in Thailand?

 

Its a bit like the Santa Clause rule: If you have been good you go to Pu$$y Heaven. Unfortunately, if you have been bad, karma being what it is, most of us will be reincarnated as a bar girl.

[rickudon]

What hasn't been mentioned is what happens to any money in the bank in Thailand. If not married and no will, and sometimes even with, getting access to that money isn't easy, and next of kin in their home country may find getting the money time consuming and expensive.

There is a reason your wife or girlfriend wants you to keep the money in an ordinary savings account WITH an ATM card (and letting her know the PIN)...

[anicon]

On 6/8/2020 at 4:26 AM, Brunolem said:

Wrong!!!

 

Thailand not same!

 

A dead farang retiree will be reincarnated, as a go-go dancer, or as an immigration officer.

..glad to hear that, was worried i might end up a baht bus driver..

[jacko45k]

20 hours ago, checkered flag said:

Why not put everything in girlfriend's or boyfriend's name now? Tell them to have a big party. If they pay for the cremation OK, but otherwise the government will decide. 

They usually have the party before you are dead. 

[keithathome]

Get a will, photograph your bank books, car/mc logbooks, any possessions you want to bequest and get a lawyer to say what to do with them,  list any contacts s/he may need,  pension providers, next of kin, anybody who might be interested in you being dead, tell him/her what to do with your body and die happy.

[JensenZ]

On 6/10/2020 at 3:26 PM, balo said:

I do no think its important what happens after my death, if some fish wants to eat me I'm fine with that. 
 

Life is incredible isn't it? You struggle to stay alive for as long as possible, and then have to deal with the burden of how to dispose of your corpse when you're done with it.

[JensenZ]

20 hours ago, rickudon said:

What hasn't been mentioned is what happens to any money in the bank in Thailand. If not married and no will, and sometimes even with, getting access to that money isn't easy, and next of kin in their home country may find getting the money time consuming and expensive.

There is a reason your wife or girlfriend wants you to keep the money in an ordinary savings account WITH an ATM card (and letting her know the PIN)...

Assuming no will, can a girlfriend extract the cash at an ATM after your death? Surely that would be illegal. What about a wife with no will. Can she do it?

[hotandsticky]

3 minutes ago, JensenZ said:

Assuming no will, can a girlfriend extract the cash at an ATM after your death? Surely that would be illegal. What about a wife with no will. Can she do it?

 

 

All mandates cease on death. ANY ATM withdrawal would be illegal.................unless from a joint account.

Edited June 11, 2020 by hotandsticky

[gamesgplayemail]

he goes to hell of course ????