Cost of funeral in small village

[THAIPHUKET]

For myself the form of my funeral is irrelevant. Thus, under the aspect of keeping good face for the family what cost should be expected?

[Henryford]

Not sure about a village but we recently had a funeral for a farang in my condo at a local Wat in Pattaya. Cost 10,000 baht.

[THAIPHUKET]

That gives an unexpected yardstick! Most helpful!

[ThailandRyan]

How long is a piece of string? 3 day, 5, day or 7 day funeral, how many monks.  How many will come from other villages. To many variables to give you a good answer. 

[Saltire]

44 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

How long is a piece of string? 3 day, 5, day or 7 day funeral, how many monks.  How many will come from other villages. To many variables to give you a good answer. 

Agree, the wife buried her father in January. Total cost 40k+ only because her ex-monk brother wanted 5 days.. 5 days for monks, 5 days catering, 5 days supply of Lao Khao for the evenings when the monks leave, 5 days music etc. Keeping it short I'd agree 10 to 15k will suffice.

 

Wife knows 1 day is enough for me when it's my turn.

 

 

 

 

[JohnCR10]

It depends on the local customs for funerals.  Also if you are talking now with all the Covid restrictions or normally.  In our village in Northern Thailand it depends on how many people will want to go to the funeral.  You are expected to be able to provide food for all visitors during the funeral period usually 3 to 5 days.  This could be easily be over a 100 people for a an average size funeral each day.  In addition you have to pay for the monks and the cost of the casket and the castle that gets burned with the body.

 

Having said all this everyone will pitch in to help including helping to cook meals.  People will donate money and food and labour.

 

I should mention that also each village has its own rules about how much each family (there is a levy) in the village has to donate to the cost of the funeral.

 

In any case expect to pay at least 100,000 baht out of your own pocket.

 

I know this all confusing but it comes down to local customs how popular is the person who died and how much help and donations you get from the locals.

[KannikaP]

5 minutes ago, JohnCR10 said:

It depends on the local customs for funerals.  Also if you are talking now with all the Covid restrictions or normally.  In our village in Northern Thailand it depends on how many people will want to go to the funeral.  You are expected to be able to provide food for all visitors during the funeral period usually 3 to 5 days.  This could be easily be over a 100 people for a an average size funeral each day.  In addition you have to pay for the monks and the cost of the casket and the castle that gets burned with the body.

 

Having said all this everyone will pitch in to help including helping to cook meals.  People will donate money and food and labour.

 

I should mention that also each village has its own rules about how much each family (there is a levy) in the village has to donate to the cost of the funeral.

 

In any case expect to pay at least 100,000 baht out of your own pocket.

 

I know this all confusing but it comes down to local customs how popular is the person who died and how much help and donations you get from the locals.

I'll go with Henryford @ Bht 10,000!

 

Just brought this up with the Mrs, and told her it is 'up to you' how much you spend on my funeral. But whatever it is, you will not be getting it back off me!

Edited May 16, 2021 by KannikaP

[Nojohndoe]

1 minute ago, JohnCR10 said:

It depends on the local customs for funerals.  Also if you are talking now with all the Covid restrictions or normally.  In our village in Northern Thailand it depends on how many people will want to go to the funeral.  You are expected to be able to provide food for all visitors during the funeral period usually 3 to 5 days.  This could be easily be over a 100 people for a an average size funeral each day.  In addition you have to pay for the monks and the cost of the casket and the castle that gets burned with the body.

 

Having said all this everyone will pitch in to help including helping to cook meals.  People will donate money and food and labour.

 

I should mention that also each village has its own rules about how much each family (there is a levy) in the village has to donate to the cost of the funeral.

 

In any case expect to pay at least 100,000 baht out of your own pocket.

 

I know this all confusing but it comes down to local customs how popular is the person who died and how much help and donations you get from the locals.

I have never heard  of any such levy in our village ! However there is a voluntary contribution scheme that many opt into which works a bit like a death Insurance plan. When the "Angel of Death" calls to collect on behalf of a deceased  person he writes it into a ledger.

I have asked my wife what happens  if you are the last  to die  out of those  named in that ledger?

She laughs and  admits she   does not know.

But it would be  rare for the cost of the average funeral around here exceed 25 thousand unless they had very high status.

[KhunBENQ]

1 hour ago, THAIPHUKET said:

Thus, under the aspect of keeping good face for the family what cost should be expected?

A 10000 Baht funeral might let your corps go up in smoke.

But far from anything face saving. Just above burying a dog.

 

Rarely experienced a funeral of less than three days.

Last day only in the morning for the final donations from the villagers.

At these Covid times it is a bit more basic as no music and close gatherings/parties allowed.

Food take away.

It depends much on how connected your family is and their status (to save).

100'000 should suffice in most cases.

Don't ask my wife: she says an average three day ceremony 200'000 ????

You should know that part of the cost is covered by the donations of the villagers (per household).

Edited May 16, 2021 by KhunBENQ

[KhunBENQ]

2 hours ago, THAIPHUKET said:

Thus, under the aspect of keeping good face for the family

AND? Have you asked the family what the minimum is for face saving?

Edited May 16, 2021 by KhunBENQ

[Saltire]

1 minute ago, Nojohndoe said:

I have never heard  of any such levy in our village ! However there is a voluntary contribution scheme that many opt into which works a bit like a death Insurance plan. When the "Angel of Death" calls to collect on behalf of a deceased  person he writes it into a ledger.

I have asked my wife what happens  if you are the last  to die  out of those  named in that ledger?

She laughs and  admits she   does not know.

But it would be  rare for the cost of the average funeral around here exceed 25 thousand unless they had very high status.

Agree, it's the most common way in many villages to have a community funeral fund, wife pays 30 baht per death, but was 40 baht before her father died. Now there are 3 adults covered. Don't need to tell you foreigners are not covered ????

 

The fund paid her brother 20k but he spent double that. Up to him.

 

I've seen many funerals here mostly at the deceased's houses, but never attended one until her father died. I used to think all those erecting of the tents, tables and cooking were all voluntary but no way. I was surprised and shocked to see 5 so-called mates of her brother each ask for 100 Baht to help with the preparations. With the exception of 2 friends everyone expects to get paid.

[KhunBENQ]

Wife: small event, closefisted, cheap food etc. goes for 100'000.

Expect neighbors gossip about your tightfisted family ????

[clivebaxter]

They do like to show off for some reason and spend well beyond their means. Father in laws funeral in 2011 cost 400k in a village, most of that of food and drink, I paid nothing towards it, I hated the <deleted> anyway ????

[marty147]

 

I paid all costs for a farang friend about six years ago in a small Isaan village.

 

The biggest single expense was for a refrigerated coffin so he could 'lie in state' at the house for three days.

 

There were monks and a procession through the village before a ceremony at the temple.

 

Neither extravagant nor overly thrifty but I felt as a happy medium that 36000 baht was a reasonable cost.

[billd766]

1 hour ago, Saltire said:

Agree, it's the most common way in many villages to have a community funeral fund, wife pays 30 baht per death, but was 40 baht before her father died. Now there are 3 adults covered. Don't need to tell you foreigners are not covered ????

 

The fund paid her brother 20k but he spent double that. Up to him.

 

I've seen many funerals here mostly at the deceased's houses, but never attended one until her father died. I used to think all those erecting of the tents, tables and cooking were all voluntary but no way. I was surprised and shocked to see 5 so-called mates of her brother each ask for 100 Baht to help with the preparations. With the exception of 2 friends everyone expects to get paid.

quote "Don't need to tell you foreigners are not covered". 

 

Local customs vary from province to province and from village to village.

 

What one village/province does is not necessarily followed in every other village in the province, 

 

I live in rural Thailand and my wife and son pay 100 baht for every villagers death. I am covered as well though I pay 250 baht for every villagers death. I was about 74 when they signed me up nearly 3 years ago.

 

That means as a foreigner, I AM covered, not that it will be problem for me, as I will be dead.

[colinneil]

2 hours ago, Saltire said:

Agree, it's the most common way in many villages to have a community funeral fund, wife pays 30 baht per death, but was 40 baht before her father died. Now there are 3 adults covered. Don't need to tell you foreigners are not covered ????

 

The fund paid her brother 20k but he spent double that. Up to him.

 

I've seen many funerals here mostly at the deceased's houses, but never attended one until her father died. I used to think all those erecting of the tents, tables and cooking were all voluntary but no way. I was surprised and shocked to see 5 so-called mates of her brother each ask for 100 Baht to help with the preparations. With the exception of 2 friends everyone expects to get paid.

Foreigners are not covered?

I am covered in our village, every time somebody dies i pay fifty baht, when i go my wife will get 20.000 baht.

[Saltire]

7 minutes ago, billd766 said:

quote "Don't need to tell you foreigners are not covered". 

 

Local customs vary from province to province and from village to village.

 

What one village/province does is not necessarily followed in every other village in the province, 

 

I live in rural Thailand and my wife and son pay 100 baht for every villagers death. I am covered as well though I pay 250 baht for every villagers death. I was about 74 when they signed me up nearly 3 years ago.

 

That means as a foreigner, I AM covered, not that it will be problem for me, as I will be dead.

Yes of course absolutely nothing in this country is consistent.

 

In my case the wife asked but as the first and only foreigner just got a 'no' as there was no precedent.

[Danderman123]

Much of whatever wealth is in Isaan goes up in smoke during these funerals.if they would stop spending their hard earned cash on death, they might live better.

[KhunBENQ]

From the funeral of a German guy in the area, Feb 2020.

And that was neither a 10'000 nor a 100'000 Baht event.

Some guest/friends coming from down south.

You won't serve them Lao Khao or Archa beer.

 

Edited May 16, 2021 by KhunBENQ

[billd766]

4 hours ago, Saltire said:

Yes of course absolutely nothing in this country is consistent.

 

In my case the wife asked but as the first and only foreigner just got a 'no' as there was no precedent.

AFAIK I am the first and only foreigner in the village system. I am the only foreigner living here full time though there were several FIFOs, I haven't seen them for over a year. The nearest full timer is about 6km away just outside the big village with another 2km further on.

The friends I visit are about 25km away and the rest are 65 to 90km away and we haven't met since January.

[Sheryl]

Depends entirely on what the family considers necessary. "Face" is utterly subjective.

 

A cremation only, in a rural village, can be 10,000 baht or even less. But to cremate with no funeral would be considered by most Thais not only odd and disrespectful to the dead, but also unlucky and likely to incur haunting from ghosts (literally - this fear underlies a great deal of Thai funeral traditions).

 

Should note that it is customary for those who attend (typically the whole village turns out as well as relatives from near and far) to make a cash donation. So  some of the outlay is recovered.

 

 

[GreasyFingers]

When the wife's grandmother died (89 yo so one of the longest in the village), she (we) contributed about 30,000 baht (being the only farang in the family) to the proceedings in a total cost of about 200,000 for the 5 nights of mourning (probably 200 + people each night) and cremation. As others have said there is the village fund and tham bun that helps to offset the costs.

[Moonlover]

Our village in consortium with 2 others, have a cooperative fund which covers the basic requirements of all funerals. Whenever there is death in any of the 3, a collection is made from every household to top the fund up, each according to their means. No one goes without a funeral, not even the poorest.

 

As my wife and most others know, I am completely areligious and have no interest in Buddhist rites. The monks also know that, so a simple trip down to the cremation ground is all that I am interested in, but my attitude is 'it's up to them'. If they want to waste money on a more elaborate affair, than there's nothing I can do to influence that. After all I won't be there will I.

[soi3eddie]

12 hours ago, clivebaxter said:

I paid nothing towards it, I hated the <deleted> anyway ????

 

OK so far. And what were his feelings about you before his demise?

 

[soi3eddie]

I have no idea about costs involved in a Thai funeral except to say the depending on the status of the deceased it may be 5 days long, a large number of attendees all expecting to be fed. The more popular and connected a person the greater number of mourners. I've been to probably about 7 or 8 Thai funerals over the years.

 

I used to follow a British YouTuber named Graham Briar who vlogged about his life on a farm in Northern Thailand. He died too soon at the early age of 53 (somewhat self inflicted due to heavy smoking). Out of respect for all that he had given, I went to his funeral in Chiang Rai in 2018. A Buddhist funeral of a farang in a Thai village. A moving film and tribute was made by other YouTubers. The turnout by locals and a dozen or so farangs was fitting. The film is here if you wish to view the events. I would be happy if I received this kind of send off.

 

Edited May 16, 2021 by soi3eddie

[Solinvictus]

Interesting thread. Lots to be checked out. Not I of course.

[arick]

First  question where is the village. We spent around 150*000 and had almost that much given back. 

[clivebaxter]

6 hours ago, soi3eddie said:

 

OK so far. And what were his feelings about you before his demise?

 

He thought a foreign son in law was going to be an ATM, I was happy to disappoint him

[1FinickyOne]

21 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

How long is a piece of string? 3 day, 5, day or 7 day funeral, how many monks.  How many will come from other villages. To many variables to give you a good answer. 

This is correct... the cost in my village would mostly be determined by the number of days - - which would be determined by the cost of food that would need to be provided for each day... the actual cost of the cremation is minimal in comparison to the cost of feeding everyone... 

[1FinickyOne]

18 hours ago, Saltire said:

Yes of course absolutely nothing in this country is consistent.

 

Is this some sort of surprise? Are things consistent where you come from? 

 

In my country, some people have lavish expensive weddings and birthdays and others get married at city hall and pay a small fee for a license... and 1000's of other examples... viva the individuality... 

 

or are you just looking for any excuse to bash Thailand?