Advice for cheapest funeral of farang husband in NE outer Bangkok area for Thai widow.

[brianthainess]

10 hours ago, Sheryl said:

Bangkok area  temples charge far more than rural ones. 

How much are they then?

[gomangosteen]

46 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Soon as a death is notified I understand the bank accounts are frozen.

 

How would the banks know?

I have accounts with Bangkok Bank and Kasikorn.

Who would be notifying every bank of my death in case I held an account with them?

[thaibeachlovers]

1 minute ago, gomangosteen said:

 

How would the banks know?

I have accounts with Bangkok Bank and Kasikorn.

Who would be notifying every bank of my death in case I held an account with them?

If Thailand is part of the central banking system they probably know how many times you use your toilet

Seriously, IMO all the banks are connected to the government now because they invented that "money laundering scam.

Soon as they find out someone is dead they just put the name into a computer and voila.

If they weren't before, now farangs are liable for tax they certainly will be.

[thaibeachlovers]

Does no one think to look with google?

 

About 519,000 results (0.26 seconds) 

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=cost+of+a+basic+cremation+in+thailand

How much does it cost to be cremated in Thailand?

 

 

More seriously, a local cremation around here costs one or two thousand baht but the cost can increase based on what the family want, extra;s such as flowers, laying in state for a week, a formal burial with lots of people/parking/seating etc all cost more. FWIW I'm planning on 5k baht for mine.31 May 2017

[spidermike007]

A cremation with a celebrant involved who can perform a 5,000 baht ceremony. Do not under any circumstances get the monks or the temples involved, they overcharge to an exorbitant degree, and the ceremonies are very boring. 

[retarius]

I don't know if this will help, but I made a Living Will. In it, I expressed all my wishes, like no unnecessary medical treatment, want to die at home, modest funeral et al. I'm still alive so I don't know if it was effective or not at stopping the rape of the widow when Papa cracks. 

The Living Will was written at a lawyer's, translated into English and Thai and has been lodged with other wills at the Embassy. 

[pagallim]

14 hours ago, JensenZ said:

What happens if the deceased has no family in Thailand or abroad? The Embassy would have no one to contact in the home country. From what I can gather, they dump the body in an unmarked grave. I'm asking, because I'm in this situation after a divorce.

 

I'm a volunteer case worker for a UK military charity.   Just before last Christmas I was dealing with someone who had died in a Phuket hospital.   I eventually tracked down a relative in the UK, though they were unable to help with funeral expenses.   There wasn't a next of kin locally, or anybody else willing to take responsibility for either the incurred hospital fees or interment costs.   The person had a very small amount of money in their Thai bank account, though this could not be accessed by anybody without going to court and an Estate Administrator appointed (this would have cost many more times than was actually in the account).

 

His next of kin signed a power of attorney for me to act on their behalf, and the British Embassy issued me a Consular Letter naming me as having authority to make arrangements.   The body had been in the hospital morgue for about 3 weeks, and the hospital gave a deadline for a part payment of the hospital bill to be paid and the body released, other wise the routine is the body is buried in a marked grave and remain there for 5 years waiting to be claimed.   If nobody comes forward in that 5 years, the body is then exhumed and cremated.

 

Fortunately, the hospital understood the situation with the persons finances, and said that if the Embassy gave them a letter requesting debt relief on compassionate grounds for the full amount of the hospital expenses owed they would release the body to me   The Embassy provided such a letter and the hospital consented to release the body to me.  

 

Next step was arranging a funeral.   The hospital administrator recommended using a local Foundation, and we contacted them.   They arranged for the body to be cremated at Wat Chalong 2 days later.   I had to be there in the morning to sign authority for the body to be taken by the Foundation from the morgue.   The all inclusive cost quoted by the Foundation was 10,000 baht, which included transport from hospital to the temple, flowers, and a service by monks.   I had to obtain an actual Death Certificate from the Amphur, using the medical death certificates from the hospital, and the Consular Letter.

 

The funeral took place on the 23rd December, and I tried to contact as many people as possible who might have known the deceased.   My wife and I collected the ashes from the temple the following morning, Christmas Eve, and hired a longtail boat to scatter them in Chalong Bay.   The charity I represent was going to pay for the funeral, so I actually paid for everything and they reimbursed me.

 

When you get into the nitty gritty of dealing with death in Thailand, it really is a wake up call about having something in place for that 'what if' scenario.   No two people's circumstances are going to be the same, but the Thai requirements for authority should be the same throughout the country.  

 

Some photos.

Edited April 13 by pagallim

[KhunLA]

If a signatory to the account then no problem, just transfer the funds before reporting you died.  Doubt if anyone is going to care.   

 

Funerals / bbq cost as much as you want to spend.   No need for a party.

[ignore it]

A lot of great advice so far on this serious topic.

And kudos for to the OP for his forethought and planning.

 

My wife doesn't like to think of such things and certainly won't talk about.

 

But, is there any room behind the shed?

[giddyup]

19 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

If she transfers the money to her account she could be accused of theft.  Draw up a Will and provide a copy to the main branch where you opened the account.

 Not sure if a bank will accept a copy of a will.

[The Fugitive]

51 minutes ago, ignore it said:

A lot of great advice so far on this serious topic.

And kudos for to the OP for his forethought and planning.

 

My wife doesn't like to think of such things and certainly won't talk about.

 

But, is there any room behind the shed?

I like it! Several of my Thai Mrs' Thai women friends have been left in debt following the deaths from alcoholism of their farang husbands. Determined I wasn't going to do that to her she has taken out Life Insurance on/for me with ThaiLife.com. 

[Stevemercer]

I've helped a few Thai widows trying to retrieve money from a deceased farang estate. It can be difficult even with the death certificate, will leaving everything to the widow and proof of death. If there is the slightest irregularity, the banks will jack up and it can take years to finally access the money. One bank insisted that the widow get a death certificate from Australia for their partner who died in Thailand. Another bank defied an order from a Thai court that executed the estate (the husband died without a valid will) and ordered the money released to the widow.

 

I would suggest that the widow has the necessary access and knowledge to transfer enough funds to handle the immediate funeral and 12 months living costs

[Scouse123]

20 hours ago, transam said:

Funerals in the UK are usually simple jobs, it is very different in LOS.

Have you never seen the handing out of envelopes, the parties, the vigils and food at the Temple....? 🤗

 

Yes, but he's a foreigner and made it clear he wants the simplest funeral.

 

You can get a no-frills funeral including the return of ashes in an urn in the UK for 1300 GBP.

 

He could easily have a full Thai-style funeral for that here.

 

A lot cheaper if he follows Sheryl's link and suggestion.

[Liverpool Lou]

15 hours ago, cliveshep said:

and that I have instructed her to clear my account on my death.

Unfortunately, legally, you do not have the authority for that "instruction" to be acted upon, administration (probate), determined by the court here, does that, just as in the UK.   Neither can your wife, legally, clear the account after your death, regardless of what a bank manager tells you or, wrongly, allows your widow to do.  Some people do get away with it though.

Edited April 13 by Liverpool Lou

[Liverpool Lou]

20 hours ago, cliveshep said:

So does anyone know if she transfers my money to her own account using my laptop as we do all the time is it legal after my death, it's certainly legal when I'm alive.

It would not be legal.

[NORDO]

Funerals are for live people,  not dead people.   Next to Preachers and Politicians, it is the biggest rip-off in history.  You are dead “teats-up”.  Why do u care?    Have her take you on a one way fishing trip and pocket the THB.

[CecilM]

A no frills cremation at a temple in Bangkok will run you about 10-15k.

Ashes/bones will be handed over in a cloth bag in a box. 

Scattering the ashes in the river (taking a boat out from the pier at Pakred) is well under 5k. Even cheaper if it's at a temple outside of Bangkok. It's free if you find access to a  river without watchful eyes. 

Edited April 13 by CecilM
More info.

[Deerculler]

About 12 months ago a Canadian I knew died.

A friend of his handled his affairs.

The cost of his cremation at a local Temple in Surin was 50,000.

It was a quiet affair and quite dignified.

When Thai start talking about hundreds of thousands.

It is for the big party.

[KannikaP]

22 hours ago, brianthainess said:

It will cost about 1k per person that attends IME and that was with food, my wife organized for my mate that died 20k covered the whole thing,  it its not the cremation that is the cost, its getting the body returned from the Police Forensics but that only cost 43k and that was to Koh Chang including the coffin. The cremation ceremony  itself if done at a Buddhist temple is a 3 day affair, 1st day chanting, second day cremation, next day when the ashes have cooled down your bones are smashed up. It all seems pretty mandatory. From what I have heard just a cremation costs just 5K.

You could contact the company below and get one of their forms, its all the paperwork, embassy, death cert that is a pain if you do it yourself, let them do all the leg work your death will also have to be registered at your local Amphur before they release the body, this company were very professional. Where it says other just put the name of the Temple you want. Edit this was one recommended to me by the OZ embassy. 

 

Thanks Brian, just what I need.

[Luuk Chaai]

On 4/12/2024 at 10:35 PM, Denim said:

 

Pondering this myself , and how there could be a problem with my wife accessing my bank funds , we bought a safe which I have installed at home.

Two thirds of my funds are now in this safe and my bank account is kept at around 100,000 which she can empty with my ATM card on my demise.

 

If your house is secure it is worth considering. If you need the money for your extension just put it back in your account 2 months before you apply.

Just make sure you don't kick the bucket during this period.

 

 

 

 

same idea ,,,,,

on a Non-O Marriage ?  you could keep funds in a joint account ..  and transfer  back to to your personal acct  for the two months necessary ..   not 100% but it covers for 83% of your time      

[Denim]

4 hours ago, Luuk Chaai said:

 

same idea ,,,,,

on a Non-O Marriage ?  you could keep funds in a joint account ..  and transfer  back to to your personal acct  for the two months necessary ..   not 100% but it covers for 83% of your time      

I asked about this at our bank.

They said if one of the account holders dies then legally they are obliged to freeze the joint account until probate has been completed. 

 

They just advised that if my wife was given my account pin number she could just withdraw cash from my account until it was empty. This is illegal and they know it but TIT.

 

If doing this anyway , best to learn how to make cardless withdrawals.

 

The safe I bought is bolted and glued to the floor out of sight. Easy to use and bypasses the bank altogether. Not like I'm losing a fortune in interest.

[Farangchai]

Maybe this article will be of help.I came across this a little while ago whilst looking into the same thing : https://www.tigonconsultancy.com/9-things-to-do-in-thailand-before-you-die/

 

[rexpotter]

On 4/12/2024 at 7:54 PM, NativeBob said:

Can foreigner "donate" his remains to museum? Thais can do and that considers as "tamboon", but foreigner?
That would clear a lot of hassle and maybe be beneficial to students to study [say] farang's liver and cohones?

My Lord bob, that's horrible....hahaha. We all die, whats the big deal? Give her the money now, let her do what she likes with it. If she is Thai and she truly cares about it all, she will save enough to take care of it.

[KhunLA]

33 minutes ago, rexpotter said:

My Lord bob, that's horrible....hahaha. We all die, whats the big deal? Give her the money now, let her do what she likes with it. If she is Thai and she truly cares about it all, she will save enough to take care of it.

Actually not a bad Idea, and best use of any remains, after any salvageable organs are donated.  Donate to a medical Uni for hands on experience while learning 👍

 

Though bob could have left out half his reply 

[brianthainess]

On 4/13/2024 at 7:52 AM, gomangosteen said:

 

How would the banks know?

I have accounts with Bangkok Bank and Kasikorn.

Who would be notifying every bank of my death in case I held an account with them?

Agree the banks are not informed ever, I had my mates ATM card and PIN as he was too disabled to use an ATM, I used to withdraw money for him every month, he had little in the bank, he had no family here, just a carer, illegal or not, with his overseas sister saying it was OK and I had a letter of Attorney, from her, (never needed that to show anybody) On his demise I took out 100k and paid his hospital bill, funeral directors, and his cremation, total was around 70k, his sister said I could keep any money left, 6 months later I withdrew the remaining funds, of around 20k.  

 

[brianthainess]

2 hours ago, Denim said:

I asked about this at our bank.

They said if one of the account holders dies then legally they are obliged to freeze the joint account until probate has been completed. 

Just don't tell the bank, you are not obliged to tell them. 

But you will need the letter from the probate family court to withdraw, not using an ATM.

[brianthainess]

My wife belongs to a 'Village Fund' that pays for a cremation , she tells me, that, she can borrow from that fund, to pay for my cremation, until my probate is finished, then pay it back.

[brianthainess]

On 4/13/2024 at 7:58 AM, thaibeachlovers said:

Soon as they find out someone is dead they just put the name into a computer and voila

And who tells them you are dead this is total BS.

[brianthainess]

20 hours ago, giddyup said:

 Not sure if a bank will accept a copy of a will.

The Bank will require the letter of Probate, not a will. 

[brianthainess]

17 hours ago, CecilM said:

A no frills cremation at a temple in Bangkok will run you about 10-15k.

Ashes/bones will be handed over in a cloth bag in a box. 

Scattering the ashes in the river (taking a boat out from the pier at Pakred) is well under 5k. Even cheaper if it's at a temple outside of Bangkok. It's free if you find access to a  river without watchful eyes. 

We paid a friend 500b to take us out, in his small long fishing boat to scatter the ashes, but out of our local estuary to the 'sea' accompanied by two monks, putting them in the river is frowned upon here, because of tides and the people that live along the river, don't want ashes flowing past, and then back again.