Cost of funeral in small village

[Bigz]

If it's in a village the family will get a few hundred bahts from each people who attend the ceremony at home. Same as your family have to donate a few hundred every time someone die in the surrounding villages. On top of that there is an insurance scheme in my area. The village headman will collect 50 baht from every household from the neighbouring villages and pass it on to the family of the deceased. 

They usually break even.

[keithkarmann]

21 hours 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.

It annoys me that everytime someone dies in our village my wife pays into the collection for someone who did not pay into the death insurance plan. She also pays into the plan. When I ask what she will get when I die she says farangs are not part of the plan. I am then unusually speechless. Wise man keeps still tongue.

[brianthainess]

Simple cremation with coffin is about 7,000 baht. When dragged on for days then the refrigerated coffin comes into play, food and drink well the skies the limit. (To the best of my knowledge all falang will have an autopsy then the fridge coffin comes into play)

[BananaGuy]

How far from main road? Easy access?

 

Ballpark for frontend loader Uttaradit area is about b5,000 for 2 hour job including lunch for the crew.

[TigerandDog]

My wife's mum's funeral cost around 120k baht gross. However after donations from the villagers, relos that travelled to attend etc the nett value was considerably less. It was a 3 day funeral and there were lots of fireworks involved at the crematorium.

[AlfHuy]

Girlfriend's father died last year.

 

5 days of praying.

GF's brother is a monk. In total, there were 7 monks praying for days. 

They did not need to pay for the monks because of the brother.

 

They did not by any alcohol but GF was shocked to see how many people turned up every day to eat.

People they have never seen before.

They could barely follow with the cooking and going out to buy more food.

Some people were even loading food into their cars, others arrived in pick-up trucks, loaded with people.

Words go round where someone died and apparently some make it a sport, just to turn up for freebies.

 

She said that it was well above 100k Baht.

 

The day her father died, some shady looking guys turned up to see, if they needed a short term loan (cash) for the funeral in exchange for title deeds or other good.

 

For some, it's a big business.

[Muhendis]

22 hours ago, Saltire said:

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

Most people I know would give me a ten minute do. No Monks. No music. No chairs but free food 

The majority of people would come for the free food. Some come to morn, but I'm sure most will come to make sure I'm dead.

[Saltire]

2 hours ago, 1FinickyOne said:

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? 

I think you missed my point. Of course weddings and funerals etc are all different.

 

I was referring to places that while there are published rules and requirements, you can bet on inconsistency everywhere. Some examples are Immigration office rules, Department of Transport licence requirements, Local amphur issueing pink cards/yellow books, and more. And yes, much more consistency in the UK.

 

It's not Thai bashing, just stating the facts of life that we need to live with.

[Saltire]

1 hour ago, keithkarmann said:

It annoys me that everytime someone dies in our village my wife pays into the collection for someone who did not pay into the death insurance plan. She also pays into the plan. When I ask what she will get when I die she says farangs are not part of the plan. I am then unusually speechless. Wise man keeps still tongue.

In my village households that don't pay get nothing from the fund.

 

[khunPer]

On 5/16/2021 at 4:28 AM, THAIPHUKET said:

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

Around 30k baht, or set a sum in that level aside.

 

If you want the family to make "good face" count for (much) more.

[MrJ2U]

Keep the costs and drunks down don't have alcohol.  Our village also has some insurance scheme.  My wife puts in about 1,400 a year and when It Yai dies it helps cover the cost.  Perhaps your village has something similar? 

 

As a falang you'll be expected to pay the brunt of the cost.

[JWRC]

All the funerals I have been to here, probably well in excess of 50 over all the years, everyone who comes gives an envelope with money in it, same as weddings and Monk ordination. The envelope has your name on it and these amounts are carefully recorded. The more senior the person giving then usually the more money. for example our Puyai usually gives between 1,000 and 5,000 Baht, whereas a person with no rank and on the basic wage may put in 200 Baht. Down the track when that person comes to an event (if we can call it that) at your place the donation will go up by 50 or 100 Baht on average and so on down the chain. Some of these funerals actually make a profit, after paying for everything. 

[aboctok]

18 hours ago, billd766 said:

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.

Wall map with pins and string?

[Stevemercer]

The immediate family should be able to arrange and mange a typical 5 day funeral for 120,000 Baht. 

[aboctok]

8 minutes ago, Stevemercer said:

The immediate family should be able to arrange and mange a typical 5 day funeral for 120,000 Baht. 

God, speaking of mange...

[billd766]

14 minutes ago, aboctok said:

Wall map with pins and string?

Google Earth is also your friend. ????

[THAIPHUKET]

@ MODERATOR 

I thank everyone for his/her contributing. It seems the subject has been exhausted and can be closed

[StevieAus]

23 hours ago, Danderman123 said:

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.

Have you seen the cost of funerals in Western Countries,?

There might not be as much

“ partying” but in Australia  between the government regulations and the funeral companies they have it sown up.

You are not even allowed to move the body yourself.

Never seen any of the mourners donate to the cost either.

[1FinickyOne]

3 hours ago, Saltire said:

I think you missed my point. Of course weddings and funerals etc are all different.

 

I was referring to places that while there are published rules and requirements, you can bet on inconsistency everywhere. Some examples are Immigration office rules, Department of Transport licence requirements, Local amphur issueing pink cards/yellow books, and more. And yes, much more consistency in the UK.

 

It's not Thai bashing, just stating the facts of life that we need to live with.

The point of the thread was the cost of a funeral in a small village... not governmental inconsistencies... which also happen in USA depending upon the state you are in and the law you might be contending.. many states have different speed limits... you probably can adjust to such things at home, why such a problem even merely accepting that it exists here... did you come to live here expecting everything to be the same as home? 

 

I bet not all of your laws make sense to you back home... what about your pension laws? but, back home, how do you feel about immigrants who complain abt being there? 

[ncc1701d]

Unfortunately over the last 12 months I’ve had to fork out for 4 funerals. The “not much better than a dog” for 10,000 seems about right. I’ve paid around 40,000 for each funeral to include the flowers, monks etc. just so my girlfriend showed them some respect and didn’t feel bad for them. The last one was the most heart breaking for me and I never even met the girl. All in the Sanam chi Khet district.

Edited May 17, 2021 by ncc1701d

[THAIPHUKET]

2 minutes ago, ncc1701d said:

Unfortunately over the last 12 months I’ve had to fork out for 4 funerals. The “not much better than a dog” for 10,000 seems about right. I’ve paid around 40,000 for each funeral to include the flowers, monks etc. just so my girlfriend showed them some respect and didn’t feel bad for them. The last one was the most heart breaking for me and I never even met the girl. All in the Sanam chi Khet district.

Thank you for bringing the human, the emotional side of the subject into focus!

[aboctok]

5 hours ago, billd766 said:

Google Earth is also your friend. ????

This is why I wrap my phone in alfoil.

[topt]

8 hours ago, AlfHuy said:

They did not need to pay for the monks because of the brother.

I am surprised no-one else has really mentioned this. Some 9 years ago or so I attended a funeral and was amazed at what I was told was being given to the monks for attending. From memory there were at least 6 over more than 3 days (I was only there for 3) with envelopes of different amounts depending on the rank of the monk. 

 

Is this standard?

 

[Maybole]

Brother-in-law's,  eighteen months ago was Thb 100000 approx.. Coffin and accoutrements alone  cost just over Thb25000.

[Sheryl]

12 hours ago, brianthainess said:

Simple cremation with coffin is about 7,000 baht. When dragged on for days then the refrigerated coffin comes into play, food and drink well the skies the limit. (To the best of my knowledge all falang will have an autopsy then the fridge coffin comes into play)

 

There is no requirement for an autopsy unless the police consider it a suspicious death or the family requests it.

 

However the body will usually be taken to a hospital morgue first awaiting permission from the Embassy to release it.

 

[arick]

In Chiayaphum it Depends how much food you buy. Mostly pork. How much money the village friends and family give you. Depends if its the mother in law or a distant relative. The family and Monks decide the length of the funeral. The younger they are the less expensive the cost.  If it a sudden death  and a very young person the funeral only last a day or two. So not expensive.  VIP funerals in the City would be much more costly. 

[Andycoops]

On 5/16/2021 at 11:30 AM, 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.

We pay 30baht a month into the village funeral fund, it's like a small life insurance policy to cover the basic costs.

Some village funerals are huge with 200 or so turning up so needless to say the catering costs rise accordingly for that day.

Locals make a small contribution some only 20baht but I guess it all helps.

[brianthainess]

10 hours ago, Sheryl said:

 

There is no requirement for an autopsy unless the police consider it a suspicious death or the family requests it.

 

However the body will usually be taken to a hospital morgue first awaiting permission from the Embassy to release it.

 

The latest news I have heard is that ALL Falang now are having autopsies done, maybe it is the Embassy's that are requesting it. 

[THAIPHUKET]

14 minutes ago, brianthainess said:

The latest news I have heard is that ALL Falang now are having autopsies done, maybe it is the Embassy's that are requesting it. 

I rather trust Sheryl than an unknown source. Why would any embassy pay for Random autopsies?

[Gilltom]

When my emglidh friends hubny died last year 

It was  very simple.he fidnt do the 3 days he was falamg mot thai.so no monks etc.think it was 10.000 for cremation at temple.they just thought that amount up.he said before he died i.m not buddist so why have there type of funeral .exactly right in my opinion