My Scottish friend died in April 24 in hospital in Khon Kaen, at 90 y.o. I wasn't heavily involved in the bureaucracy of getting him sent on his way, although his wife knew I'd help if needed. But I wasn't needed. She was helped by the hospital, told about the Embassy involvement - that seems to be a requirement for ALL foreigner deaths here - and dealt with the Embassy herself, all from the comfort of her own home. She didn't need to go in person to the UK Embassy. He was cremated, with all necessary documents provided, 5 days after his death so it's clearly not a difficult procedure IF the correct guidance is provided.

I have asked ChatGPT and here are the results. Sorry about the quality, but I had to photo the PC screen.

7 minutes ago, MartinL said:

My Scottish friend died in April 24 in hospital in Khon Kaen, at 90 y.o. I wasn't heavily involved in the bureaucracy of getting him sent on his way, although his wife knew I'd help if needed. But I wasn't needed. She was helped by the hospital, told about the Embassy involvement - that seems to be a requirement for ALL foreigner deaths here - and dealt with the Embassy herself, all from the comfort of her own home. She didn't need to go in person to the UK Embassy. He was cremated, with all necessary documents provided, 5 days after his death so it's clearly not a difficult procedure IF the correct guidance is provided.

A friend who's father died in Pattaya, had to go to Bangkok Police accompanying the body, for an autopsy, which took two days, then the body was shipped back to Chonburi Hospital Morgue for one night before the burning. An Agent quoted him Bht 60k for the whole procedure, coffin (chipboard), transport, officialdom etc. Then another said Bht 25k, but he told them to p.55 off, and di it himself. Took Dad's ashes back to UK with no problems at all.

15 hours ago, GreasyFingers said:

They insisted on confirmation of next of kin in America before the okay to release the body

Do they want a photo of the dead man's face to compare to his passport? Or someone to fly over to look at the body.

9 hours ago, scorecard said:

 

 

Well you're entitled to your beliefs.

 

I believe in respecting the dead and especially where they have contributed much value their family / society.

 

I saw acive combat service in the war in Vietnam. I was a platoon leader (50 men split into 5 sections of 10 men). Several times soldiers in my platioon were killed and several were ripped apart. 

 

When that happened they were more than just dead bodies, I experienced severe grief because I could never see them alive again nor talk with them. Or apoogize to them.

 

Plus in these circumstances a man / a respected friend was lying close to me / or a few metres way frome me and:

 

- I could not get to him / them, I would have been a sitting duck even crawling close to the ground. And that would have meant my platoon had no leader.

 

- I had to keep my thoughts focused. I was in severe grief but I had to very quickly analyse the situation and decide next steps to work towards our combat objective, in other words be a leader.  

 

- In these circumstances the platoon leader always had instant thoughts 'did I do something wrong / did I wrongly order the men / some of the men to move into a closer / different situation / take a specific action that was just not appropriate  and expose this dead young man / these men and they died. 

 

- And at the same time make a plan how to get the dead body quickly returned to our base. Leaving the body there was not an option, there was always the possibility the enemy soldiers would find the body, mutilate it in some way and perhaps we would never see the body again and that meant documents to go home to the family 'we have no knowledge what happpned to your son's dead body'. More grief.

 

- More than just a dead body, extreme grief. 

 

 

Well - try looking at the body of your dead daughter.  But extreme grief would never reanimate that beautiful child.  What was left was a husk.  I had the funeral direct shut the casket.  Her friends could remember her in life.  They could respect her memory.  Her remains meant nothing.

6 minutes ago, Will Iam Not said:

Do they want a photo of the dead man's face to compare to his passport? Or someone to fly over to look at the body.

 

Do not know about the photo but the identity is confirmed by the embassy so no need for anyone to fly over.

1 hour ago, sandyf said:

Bodies are normally embalmed before going home or to the temple, not sure if done by the hospital or a third party.

My father in law was on the verandah for a week before being interred.

Embalmed? Where?
If someone dies in the village, their body never leaves the village.  Often it never leaves their home.  The body is place in a refrigeration casket and placed in-state at either the persons home or the local temple where it generally will stay for three to five days before being burned.  

Really - who told you that the bodies of Thais are embalmed?  This definitely is not the West with their morbid fascination with funeral directors.  Outside of large cities you're not going to find funeral directors.  All of the necessary bureaucracy such as police reports and death certificates are done at the village/tambon/amphur level.  The vast majority of Thais are Buddhists who opt to be cremated. It's a rare Thai who opts to be embalmed and buried.

10 minutes ago, GreasyFingers said:

 

Do not know about the photo but the identity is confirmed by the embassy so no need for anyone to fly over.

How could 'the British Embassy' confirm my identity with out seeing my body and Passport together. Would they come up to my home?

1 minute ago, Will Iam Not said:

How could 'the British Embassy' confirm my identity with out seeing my body and Passport together. Would they come up to my home?

Cannot say for sure but I believe the Embassy takes advice from the police and immigration as to the identity. No need for them to do it  personally.

2 minutes ago, GreasyFingers said:

Cannot say for sure but I believe the Embassy takes advice from the police and immigration as to the identity. No need for them to do it  personally.

I suppose they could send photos of body and Passport to the Embassy.

Would be much easier for the local Bobby to come and look at both and say "Yep, that's him"

My problem is that I am 81 and I get 3 pensions.

 

1   A frozen State pension which dies with me

2   A military pension and my wife will get 50%

3   A company pension and my wife will get 50%

 

The problem is that they are all UK based and each require the Thai documents to be translated to English. They each have a list of a bereavement form which they will NOT release until after notification of my death which IMHO is really stupid.

 

I am a believer in the K I S S principle and if the documents are sent to me BEFORE my death, I can download them, help my wife of 25 years to get both pensions,

 

As an aside, anybody who has a Wise account should be told that as soon as Wise is notified of your death, the account is frozen and your wife/GF will need to make a separate claim (with proof of your relationship) to get YOUR money released.

 

The Wise account is in YOUR name only and cannot be a joint account or transferred to her name.

 

Has  anybody helped a widow get a military or com[any pension and still have a copy of the bereavement form that I could use.

 

I understand that it is a faint hope but I have to try.

 

My wife speaks and reads English reasonably well but is computer hopeless.

 

 

6 minutes ago, billd766 said:

As an aside, anybody who has a Wise account should be told that as soon as Wise is notified of your death, the account is frozen and your wife/GF will need to make a separate claim (with proof of your relationship) to get YOUR money released.

 

The Wise account is in YOUR name only and cannot be a joint account or transferred to her name.

Thanks for that. I keep as little as possible in my WISE accounts, so not much to be frozen.

Wonder how she could prove our relationship if we are not married, photos of us together from 15 years ago, that's all she would have, or visits to UK in her old Passports with photos in UK.

Does anyone know whether a Bangkok Bank JOINT account would need to go thru Probate, both our signatures are in the bank book.

30 minutes ago, Will Iam Not said:

Thanks for that. I keep as little as possible in my WISE accounts, so not much to be frozen.

Wonder how she could prove our relationship if we are not married, photos of us together from 15 years ago, that's all she would have, or visits to UK in her old Passports with photos in UK.

Does anyone know whether a Bangkok Bank JOINT account would need to go thru Probate, both our signatures are in the bank book.

A friend died a few years back and had opened a joint account with his wife with his demise in mind. After he died his wife went to the bank and they told her it would be frozen if they record him as deceased. She had to empty the account via the ATM.

We live in rural Kamphaeng Phet some 350 km from Bangkok and the British embassy in a small Thai Moo Ban. AFAIK there are NO funeral directors out here and most deaths are dealt with by the Pu Yai Ban, the Amphur and the Police from the Amphur.

 

I have not been to the embassy since it was still on Wireless Road in BKK. I doubt if they have any knowledge of any Brit living in rural Thailand.

 

My wife, 21 year old son and I are all insured through the local insurance  scheme which is done by the  Pu Yai Ban so our cremation costs are covered with perhaps a bit left over for a few wets for anybody who comes the see me off.

 

IMHO if the embassy IS told of my death my (frozen) state pension will be stopped and the news will spread to the others, especially the military.

 

The way that I look at it is that the embassy is not that interested while I am alive, so why should they care if I am dead?

5 minutes ago, NotEinstein said:

A friend died a few years back and had opened a joint account with his wife with his demise in mind. After he died his wife went to the bank and they told her it would be frozen if they record him as deceased. She had to empty the account via the ATM.

Which is what I would advise my Partner to do, even though it is technically illegal.

19 hours ago, MarcusAurelius said:

Funny, I was just thinking a few days ago if anyone had created a basic checklist.

 

I recall when being on here some time ago there was a service to help survivors navigate the death 

 

Don't be too hard on her. I've been here a long time and haven't a clue. 

 

Make tentative plans for cremation at wat

 

Go to hospital, get death certificate assuring died natural causes.

 

Bring certificate to embassy get another certificate to release body

 

Arrangement for transport of body 

 

Return to hospital with certificates, obtain the body

 

Transport body to wat

 

Have the cremation 

 

??????

 

Take the certificates along with a will that States she's executor and beneficiary to banks and land office as applicable 

 

That's my GUESS 

https://www.amarinternational.com/     

When my friend was hit by a car in Pattaya and later died, his family in the US could not immediately come to Thailand and make arrangements.  amarinternational took care of everything for them, including all paperwork, transporting the body and arranging a very nicely done funeral with both Buddhist and Christian officiants.   It cost the family about B40,000 all in.  Very reasonable considering the services rendered.

47 minutes ago, billd766 said:

My problem is that I am 81 and I get 3 pensions.

 

1   A frozen State pension which dies with me

2   A military pension and my wife will get 50%

3   A company pension and my wife will get 50%

 

The problem is that they are all UK based and each require the Thai documents to be translated to English. They each have a list of a bereavement form which they will NOT release until after notification of my death which IMHO is really stupid.

 

I am a believer in the K I S S principle and if the documents are sent to me BEFORE my death, I can download them, help my wife of 25 years to get both pensions,

 

As an aside, anybody who has a Wise account should be told that as soon as Wise is notified of your death, the account is frozen and your wife/GF will need to make a separate claim (with proof of your relationship) to get YOUR money released.

 

The Wise account is in YOUR name only and cannot be a joint account or transferred to her name.

 

Has  anybody helped a widow get a military or com[any pension and still have a copy of the bereavement form that I could use.

 

I understand that it is a faint hope but I have to try.

 

My wife speaks and reads English reasonably well but is computer hopeless.

 

 

I wouldn't worry too much about Wise.  If you have a  joint tenancy with right of survivorship (JTWROS) in your home country, once the bank/brokerage is given your death certificate and doc issued by your Embassy they send your funds to your wife via SWIFT. 

51 minutes ago, billd766 said:

I am a believer in the K I S S principle and if the documents are sent to me BEFORE my death, I can download them, help my wife of 25 years to get both pensions,

 

Totally agree, wouldn't it be good if that could be done.

15 hours ago, scorecard said:

 

And that can happen. An American acquaintance died in Pattaya sevearal years back. He had no relatives of close friends in Thailand (he was an unpleasant fellow who refused to speak to westerners. 

 

It was discovered that he had a younger brother in Utah, he as contactd by a Thai police unit and he strongly abused the Thai cop (cop spoke good English). Brother in Utah demanded that the Thai cop come to Utah immediately and bring the deceased body. 

 

Thai cops refused and insisted the brother come to Thailand and bring family documents.

 

It became a total mess with no action. Eventually the brother in Utah withdrew from the problem and refused to contribute any funds for a funeral in Pattaya. The deceased died with no funds whatever in the house and none in the several bank books found in the pattaya house. Several farng acquaintance (the deceased had no real friends) were approached for funds, all refused.  

 

A special unit of Thai police then arranged for a pawpers funeral. Buried wrapped in whte cloth, no coffin, no cremation and no headstone or other markings in a back corner of the local temple.  

I have dealt with a few of these cases but never had the Thai police contact any one other but the embassy.

Why would the Thai police contact any one outside of Thailand? Make no sense to me.

 

58 minutes ago, connda said:

Embalmed? Where?
If someone dies in the village, their body never leaves the village.  Often it never leaves their home.  The body is place in a refrigeration casket and placed in-state at either the persons home or the local temple where it generally will stay for three to five days before being burned.  

Really - who told you that the bodies of Thais are embalmed?  This definitely is not the West with their morbid fascination with funeral directors.  Outside of large cities you're not going to find funeral directors.  All of the necessary bureaucracy such as police reports and death certificates are done at the village/tambon/amphur level.  The vast majority of Thais are Buddhists who opt to be cremated. It's a rare Thai who opts to be embalmed and buried.

Thai friend suffered a stroke. Decision was made to pull the plug at Regional Hospital during morning doctors rounds. Mid afternoon at his family house his casket lay on the floor wrapped in polythene sheeting. Refrigeration unit arrived on the back of a pickup. I helped the guys load his casket into the unit. When the polythene wrapping came off I wished I was elsewhere. His sister stood there holding her nose. That's what a 60 km ride on the back of a pickup in 40C does to a corpse. He most certainly hadn't been embalmed.

4 minutes ago, Will Iam Not said:

Totally agree, wouldn't it be good if that could be done.

TBH, I don't see why it cannot be done, perhaps that would be to simple,

I've arranged for a Mongolian Sky Funeral. But instead of vultures, it'll have to be Thai crows.

2 minutes ago, Sandboxer said:

I've arranged for a Mongolian Sky Funeral. But instead of vultures, it'll have to be Thai crows.

 

 

Soi dogs?

2 hours ago, Will Iam Not said:

I have asked ChatGPT and here are the results. Sorry about the quality, but I had to photo the PC screen.

 

 

...seems chatGPT does not say anything about whether  use of 'Funeral Director' would be mandatory before UK embassy issues the permit for cremation.

 

Anyway, will learn by experience soon as submitted the application to authorise the GF (or common law wife as some would say) to manage the funeral activities.

 

Overall, for someone like me the situation is kinda weird - hospital/local officals issued death certificate and relased the body to her in a refridgerated coffin that she now needs to keep in her living room...anyway TIT.

 

Lesson to learn is to study and make a plan for yourself well in time...I told my friend earlier this year that he need to make a will to make sure no hassles about his inheritance, and he luckily did as he had quite some earthly possessions left. However neither myself nor he thought about challenges related to the funeral.

6 minutes ago, mran66 said:

...seems chatGPT does not say anything about whether  use of 'Funeral Director' would be mandatory before UK embassy issues the permit for cremation.

My GF just asked the Village Chief, who said that he, the Police Chief, the Amphur and the temple will do it all after the local Hospital has issued a Death Certificate.

They will inform the Embassy.

Copies of my Thai Will, Passport, Yellow Book, DL, all in an envelope here ready to go when needed.

1 hour ago, Will Iam Not said:

Which is what I would advise my Partner to do, even though it is technically illegal.

Not sure where I copied this from but would fix any problem. It would probably depend on your local branch if you can have one.

An “Either or Survivor” account is a type of joint bank account where any one of the account holders can independently manage and transact on the account, and in case of the death of one account holder, the surviving individual(s) gains full control of the account without the need for legal procedures.

36 minutes ago, mran66 said:

 

 

...seems chatGPT does not say anything about whether  use of 'Funeral Director' would be mandatory before UK embassy issues the permit for cremation.

 

Anyway, will learn by experience soon as submitted the application to authorise the GF (or common law wife as some would say) to manage the funeral activities.

 

Overall, for someone like me the situation is kinda weird - hospital/local officals issued death certificate and relased the body to her in a refridgerated coffin that she now needs to keep in her living room...anyway TIT.

 

Lesson to learn is to study and make a plan for yourself well in time...I told my friend earlier this year that he need to make a will to make sure no hassles about his inheritance, and he luckily did as he had quite some earthly possessions left. However neither myself nor he thought about challenges related to the funeral.

Chat GP is not always correct. My GF says that her family can/will/must do the arrangements. Borrow the cold storage from the Temple.

Couldn't find my Birth Certificate so just ordered one from GOV.UK costing 27 quid and 12 days to deliver !!!

25 minutes ago, Will Iam Not said:

My GF just asked the Village Chief, who said that he, the Police Chief, the Amphur and the temple will do it all after the local Hospital has issued a Death Certificate.

They will inform the Embassy.

Copies of my Thai Will, Passport, Yellow Book, DL, all in an envelope here ready to go when needed.

That sounds simple and easy and just right for rural Thailand

6 hours ago, Will Iam Not said:

22 hours ago, GreasyFingers said:

They insisted on confirmation of next of kin in America before the okay to release the body

Do they want a photo of the dead man's face to compare to his passport? Or someone to fly over to look at the body.

Obviously not, the next of kin has to be informed of a death and girlfriends are not NOK.

5 hours ago, connda said:

The body is place in a refrigeration casket and placed in-state

He must have been very important to be resting" in state"!