The cheapest farang funeral - what is involved and what would it cost? Help please.

[brianthainess]

53 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

How do the Police know what is a farang phone/computer?

They don't and won't take them.

[Confuscious]

3 hours ago, jvs said:

That will be dealt with in the agreement,what ever is left over will be cremated and the ashes can be returned to the relatives.

 

My last will stipulates clearly that my corpse will be donated to science and I have no relatives (which I would give a rats a..  about).
In my country we call this "No wreath, flowers or crocodile tears". 

[1FinickyOne]

On 8/13/2023 at 5:50 PM, scubascuba3 said:

Transfer the 400k to your wife before you die, maybe use an agent for last few years if necessary

ridiculous idea - go from being here legally to illegal... the money will go to his wife soon enough. 

 

Why break a law and risk legal trouble? I doubt he is looking for problems.

[scubascuba3]

13 minutes ago, 1FinickyOne said:

ridiculous idea - go from being here legally to illegal... the money will go to his wife soon enough. 

 

Why break a law and risk legal trouble? I doubt he is looking for problems.

it isn't illegal you should know that by now. She could easily have problems getting the money

[cliveshep]

On 8/13/2023 at 5:18 PM, brianthainess said:

Just to make it clear OP do you mean Funeral or Cremation ?

Whatever is cheapest, we're both Christians so it matters nothing!

[cliveshep]

11 hours ago, hotchilli said:

She'll withdraw the money, bury you for 20,000 and enjoy the rest.

Good for her, she has been, still is, the best possible wife, loving and caring.

[Confuscious]

I never understood the meaning of an "Expensive" burring or cremation of a dead corpse.
What do people expect from burrying a corpse in an expensive grave (Catholic) or cremating a corpse at high expenses (Catholic and Buddhism).
At the end of the day, the dead corpse is forgotten about and life goes on.
But leaving many times the family with a high debt.
The dead corpse will be burried in a grave or put in a vase and if lucky, some of the family will come to see once a year if the grave or the vase is still there (hoping that it was blown away so that they don't have to come again next year).
Giving a corpse to Science gives the dead person the opprtunity to serve science and hoping that technology can advance in that field (students will be grateful to practise the theory with the reality on your dead body).
And when you can give your body to science just before you go, your organs can be donated to people in need.
Come on guys, we live in 21th century.

[cliveshep]

The UNIs will not accept older dead people - end of! Young ones - yes, for research or possibly as organ donors. 

[Farma]

45 minutes ago, cliveshep said:

The UNIs will not accept older dead people - end of! Young ones - yes, for research or possibly as organ donors. 

Are you sure?

I know a Chiangmai uni accepted the body of a Thai friends 70+ yo father for medical research a few months ago.

[Toolong]

On 8/13/2023 at 2:51 PM, cliveshep said:

While I'm in no hurry to depart this realm, at almost 78 it can only be a matter of time, and maybe not much of that. As I am a pensioner on a miserable UK pension living here with my Thai wife of 12 years who is 38 years younger and has no job, I am naturally concerned as to how she will manage after I'm gone. She insists she'll find factory work but it is my funeral costs that bother me. Like all foreigners married to Thais we got the 400,000 baht in the bank, and she has access to my bank account, passwords etc and her name is on the account but not visible in the passbook except under UV light so in theory she is legally able to withdraw money.

 

In fact for the past 9 years since Theresa May forced us to leave the UK she often handles Transferwise transfers from my UK bank to my Thai bank account as well as paying bills via transfers from my Bangkok Bank to her own bank for that purpose. I have found I can trust her implicitly. I have told her to get a grip when I pass and transfer the money from my account to her own account immediately and before anything else. This is so  that she has something to live on. She says if a farang dies the police have to be informed and they collect the body for a forensic examination etc. and also take away computers, phones etc always suspicious of foul play by the wife?  That is what she says, is she right? Presumably being RTP they'll want to extort money too?

 

Can any informed person advise me on likely procedures please?

 

When I'm dead I won't be caring what happens to my body, she might as she is loving, but I've told her to deal with it the cheapest way possible. My experiences in the UK with my own parents show death is a big money-maker for some in that business, I don't want her in that trap so please can you folk offer information and advice I can pass on?

 

A fire or hole in the garden is probably not a viable or legal option. So no suggestions of that ilk please. Is it temple or church or some cheaper alternative and what role if any to the venal RTP or other grasping civil servants have?

 

BTW - I have made a will, it is written in both Thai and English, and I had it witnessed and signed on every page by a Government Employee and one other person - there are two copies which she keeps safe. In it I make quite clear my two adult kids want nothing and everything of mine is hers. Both cars, motorbike and house have always been in her sole name to keep away RTP and other vultures.

You sound like a fine fellow, cliveshep. 

 

But the compliment provides no help re the advice you seek. 

 

I'm in a very similar situation, though one significant difference is that I've lazily put off sorting out an 'official' will, unlike yourself. 

And perhaps that is due to having stepchildren (my Thai wife's kids) who would help enormously in the event of me kickin' it.

 

And that's one of the points of the matter I'd like to get to, re your own situation: if your wife has people that both she & yourself really trust, and who can be relied upon to help her out, with organizing stuff and just moral support, things will be much easier to deal with, re your own 'pre-death' fears. 

 

But as to the actual means by which your corporeal remains are disposed of, that's a toughie.

My Thai wife may want, for my sake, wish to comply with my wishes.......that I be placed in a casket and with last goodbyes said, burnt to ashes in a single day, without a big deal & the traditional week-long rituals that I find incompatible with my own understanding of things, etc......BUT, I know it would trouble her greatly if I insisted that it be so. Thais are so bound by their cultural norms. 

 

Unless I am mistaken.....in which case I hope you'll forgive me......your wife may deep down prefer a ceremony that accords with cultural norms here. 

 

As to the cost and local 'institutions' making capital out of your demise at your & your wife's expense.....there's not much - imo - you can do about it, but one thing I personally do plan on doing myself is arranging to see the head monk at my local temple to see to what extent my own wishes (which appear to be much like your own) might be carried out.

 

Quickly.

 

No week-long stuff needing to be paid for in crippling amounts, just for chants in the evenings!

 

Good luck. ????

 

[The Fugitive]

14 minutes ago, Toolong said:

You sound like a fine fellow, cliveshep. 

 

But the compliment provides no help re the advice you seek. 

 

I'm in a very similar situation, though one significant difference is that I've lazily put off sorting out an 'official' will, unlike yourself. 

And perhaps that is due to having stepchildren (my Thai wife's kids) who would help enormously in the event of me kickin' it.

 

And that's one of the points of the matter I'd like to get to, re your own situation: if your wife has people that both she & yourself really trust, and who can be relied upon to help her out, with organizing stuff and just moral support, things will be much easier to deal with, re your own 'pre-death' fears. 

 

But as to the actual means by which your corporeal remains are disposed of, that's a toughie.

My Thai wife may want, for my sake, wish to comply with my wishes.......that I be placed in a casket and with last goodbyes said, burnt to ashes in a single day, without a big deal & the traditional week-long rituals that I find incompatible with my own understanding of things, etc......BUT, I know it would trouble her greatly if I insisted that it be so. Thais are so bound by their cultural norms. 

 

Unless I am mistaken.....in which case I hope you'll forgive me......your wife may deep down prefer a ceremony that accords with cultural norms here. 

 

As to the cost and local 'institutions' making capital out of your demise at your & your wife's expense.....there's not much - imo - you can do about it, but one thing I personally do plan on doing myself is arranging to see the head monk at my local temple to see to what extent my own wishes (which appear to be much like your own) might be carried out.

 

Quickly.

 

No week-long stuff needing to be paid for in crippling amounts, just for chants in the evenings!

 

Good luck. ????

 

Exactly! My Thai Mrs will not agree to my bequeathing my corpse. She has two uncles who are monks which also influences how I will be despatched. She's taken out www.ThaiLife.com life insurance polices upon myself and another uncle. She also had one for her mother who died last year.   

[CecilM]

10 hours ago, crazykopite said:

You must live in the sticks to get it at that price 

Bangkok & Ratchaburi. 

[Markus700]

On 8/13/2023 at 10:09 AM, advancebooking said:

Actually the 100% cheapest option in Thailand that will NOT cost your thai family here anything is to donate your body to Science. Its a matter of filling out a form that you download from the website of the Siriraj Piyamaharajkarun hospital in bangkok. After you submit the forms they will send you a member card and you keep it in your wallet. If you die your wife can call them and they send a van immediately. After medical and dental students are finished doing surgery on all parts of your body it will be cremated and they inform the date etc to your wife. She can attend the ceremony along with anyone else who cares. Unsure if its available to westerners but surely should be. Call them

I visitrd the homepage of Siriraj Piyamaharajkarun hospital in bangkok but cannot find thr donlaod site. Can you help me?

 

[The Fugitive]

22 minutes ago, Markus700 said:

I visitrd the homepage of Siriraj Piyamaharajkarun hospital in bangkok but cannot find thr donlaod site. Can you help me?

Try this; https://chulalongkornhospital.go.th/kcmh/en/body-and-organ-donations/

[Markus700]

1 hour ago, The Fugitive said:

Try this; https://chulalongkornhospital.go.th/kcmh/en/body-and-organ-donations/

Thx very much

 

[radiochaser]

10 hours ago, Confuscious said:

...  or put in a vase and if lucky, some of the family will come to see once a year if the grave or the vase is still there (hoping that it was blown away so that they don't have to come again next year).
 

After my mother in law was cremated, each family member chose to take either, some of the ashes, or, as my wife did, remnants of bone that had survived the cremation and that was put into a small urn to keep for themselves.   The rest of the ashes were buried at sea. 

No need to travel anywhere to see the vase with ashes as each family member had their own share of them kept at their own homes.   I assumed that was something the Thai's did.  

[NanLaew]

22 hours ago, The Fugitive said:

Christianity in action; 'He wasn't a member of our club so no you can't'. Buddhists don't operate like that. 

Correct. They just charge 10,000 baht and up to toast any old stranger.

[The Fugitive]

6 hours ago, radiochaser said:

After my mother in law was cremated, each family member chose to take either, some of the ashes, or, as my wife did, remnants of bone that had survived the cremation and that was put into a small urn to keep for themselves.   The rest of the ashes were buried at sea. 

No need to travel anywhere to see the vase with ashes as each family member had their own share of them kept at their own homes.   I assumed that was something the Thai's did.  

Absolutely! In most cases the remainder of the charred bone fragments go into an earthernware pot and buried at a strategic point in the grounds of the temple. We were keeping four cremation urns at home but have now purchased a column at our nearest temple where they now reside.  

[advancebooking]

19 hours ago, Markus700 said:

I visitrd the homepage of Siriraj Piyamaharajkarun hospital in bangkok but cannot find thr donlaod site. Can you help me?

 

You are best to call them

[Kinok Farang]

Also,make sure the wife continues to draw your pension by having an atm card valid for a few years.

[cliveshep]

On 8/16/2023 at 12:26 PM, Kinok Farang said:

Also,make sure the wife continues to draw your pension by having an atm card valid for a few years.

Apart from being illegal also impossible as the British Embassy get notified and the passport is cancelled which in turn cancels pensions.