What is the current 2025 Cost of a Cremation in Thailand?

[AngryMan]

I am curious as to what is the general cost of a Cremation for a None Thai in Thailand?

Sorry if this info is posted elsewhere but I could not find it.

[IvorBiggun2]

 

[billd766]

I think that the cremation ceremony would depend on the wat itself, rural;, urban or big city wat, the number of monks needed/asked for, how many days the body is lying there. For the cremation itself, AFAIK the body is either soaked in oil, or a gas burner is used and would be relatively cheap. It is all the add ons that cost.

 

Food etc for X number of people for X number of days, Water, beer, whiskey, ice. soda for the kids are usually on a sale or return basis.

 

Gifts will be required for all the guests.

 

If the wives or the family do the cooking they will rent the stuff from the temple or elsewhere.

 

TBH brutally honest, asking for a figure is a bit like asking how long is a piece of string.

 

The overall cost depends on how much face the family wants.

 

It can be relatively cheap or eye wateringly expensive. The choice, as always, will be the choice of the family.

[hotandsticky]

27 minutes ago, billd766 said:

I think that the cremation ceremony would depend on the wat itself, rural;, urban or big city wat, the number of monks needed/asked for, how many days the body is lying there. For the cremation itself, AFAIK the body is either soaked in oil, or a gas burner is used and would be relatively cheap. It is all the add ons that cost.

 

Food etc for X number of people for X number of days, Water, beer, whiskey, ice. soda for the kids are usually on a sale or return basis.

 

Gifts will be required for all the guests.

 

If the wives or the family do the cooking they will rent the stuff from the temple or elsewhere.

 

TBH brutally honest, asking for a figure is a bit like asking how long is a piece of string.

 

The overall cost depends on how much face the family wants.

 

It can be relatively cheap or eye wateringly expensive. The choice, as always, will be the choice of the family.

 

 

Whilst your list of expenses is perfectly valid, the net cost could be much less...... you omitted the pink envelope factor which could significantly reduce the figure.

 

30,000 Baht is the lowest figure I have seen for a local wat just to do an unattended burn. Most are just as likely to refuse because a 'direct cremation' does not sit well with Buddhist beliefs and practices.

[billd766]

11 hours ago, hotandsticky said:

 

 

Whilst your list of expenses is perfectly valid, the net cost could be much less...... you omitted the pink envelope factor which could significantly reduce the figure.

 

30,000 Baht is the lowest figure I have seen for a local wat just to do an unattended burn. Most are just as likely to refuse because a 'direct cremation' does not sit well with Buddhist beliefs and practices.

But the envelope expense are variable depending on how many people contribute and how much each person contributes. Some contributors may donate 20 thb (all they can afford), whilst others may give 100, 500, 1,000 thb or even nothing. Some wats will announce each donation and others may not, but the fixed deductions will still remain.

 

Some villages have an "insurance" contribution which is to be paid each time somebody in the village dies, and some villages don't. Our village does and even I as a farang am insured, as is my wife and son (but at 3 times the cost).

 

There are no hard and fast rules, so the best way to get a price is to send a Thai to each wat and ask the abbot for the price.

 

I doubt that any wat will provide a cremation only but the best way to find out would be to ask around all the wats in the area for a guesstimate before the event happens.

[jaywalker2]

15 hours ago, AngryMan said:

I am curious as to what is the general cost of a Cremation for a None Thai in Thailand?

Sorry if this info is posted elsewhere but I could not find it.

In a previous thread, someone pointed out that death insurance is available that covers cremation. I believe the cost was 20,000 baht

[hotandsticky]

3 hours ago, billd766 said:

But the envelope expense are variable depending on how many people contribute and how much each person contributes. Some contributors may donate 20 thb (all they can afford), whilst others may give 100, 500, 1,000 thb or even nothing. Some wats will announce each donation and others may not, but the fixed deductions will still remain.

 

Some villages have an "insurance" contribution which is to be paid each time somebody in the village dies, and some villages don't. Our village does and even I as a farang am insured, as is my wife and son (but at 3 times the cost).

 

There are no hard and fast rules, so the best way to get a price is to send a Thai to each wat and ask the abbot for the price.

 

I doubt that any wat will provide a cremation only but the best way to find out would be to ask around all the wats in the area for a guesstimate before the event happens.

 

The donations are usually controlled by a family member and the bookkeeping would put some banks to shame. Many years ago my missus lost her young son and she was most moved by the 20 Baht donation from an 80 year old villager who has nothing and walked 2 km from just outside the village to attend the cremation.

 

 I am sure there are a few wats that will provide a cremation only service; I have only heard of two - one near Pattaya and one in Buriram province.

[crazykopite]

I’ve been involved in several a simple cremation one night of prayers and burn the next day simple food coffee and water around 25,000 baht there were no envelopes of money given nor a free raffle this only tends to happen with Thai related families 

[ronster]

Around 30000 is price I heard for average ceremony. The after party is as much as you want to waste .

Wife cremated her dad and was less than 80000 all in including food etc at house. 

But then 3 years later when they put him in one of the mini temple things at the wat she had live music show , buying the mini wat the remains go in , food and other bits. It started off at around 200,000 and ended up near 400,000 🙈

What happened was she sent out all the envelopes that people get and put money in and then they come to eat etc. The thing went on for 2-3 days of people basically coming to eat and drink and she had to buy loads more food and drink instead of turning people away .

Then because her mother lives in a large house and her daughter is married to a farang , then instead of the usual 500bht people put in envelope they all put 1-300bht as they thought she doesn't need money as she is married to a ATM. Sorry farang I meant 🤑🤑🤑

[Can samui]

I can confirm that the basic fee is in the region of 30,000. That is no frills basic cremation. Anything else is above and beyond but the base fee covers all of the necessities right up to ashes collection by next of kin/friend.

[khunPer]

On 5/10/2025 at 2:22 PM, AngryMan said:

I am curious as to what is the general cost of a Cremation for a None Thai in Thailand?

Sorry if this info is posted elsewhere but I could not find it.

It's depending on how many days you wish monks to pray for you and how many monks. Cremation only might vary from area to area or temple to remple, depending of creamation method is modern or charcoal. Where I live it was 6,000 baht for the actual creamtion in a mordern diesel fueled oven a few years ago; so, probably around 10,000 baht.

Why not ask – or get someone speaking Thai – to ask in the local temple.

[Bundooman]

Does cremation cure Arthritis then?

[TexasCowboy]

#1....probably free service if you donate your body to science.  Every medical school in Thailand needs body donations.  Normally they'll use the body for a year for student interaction or for research and give you the ashes back for free in a year or two.  If you don't want them back or you want them to dispose of them, they probably will.  Check their websites for willed body program....Mahidol or Chula or a dozen other medical schools.  If you want good karma give it to the worst or lowest ranked school, instead of these two as they probably have the most difficult times getting donations.

You might also check at Wat Hua Lamphong and the Por Tek Tung Foundation.   They might do low cost cremations.