Thai Funerals For Non-thais

[Bagwan]

If the deceased has Thai family, they will normally arrange things themselves without involving the embassy.

I do hope so.

My wife and I have discussed my demise and she wants my corpse to undergo 'the treatment' at a wat. I am against this since learning of the costs involved at the local Pattaya wat. We have arrived at a compromise in that my body will be transported up country and disposed of there. Since she will move up there when I am no longer physically around I have convinced her that I will be close at hand and that my spirit will watch over her.

We have both made wills set out in both Thai and English. Tucked away in a safe place along with the big portrait that is the custom, is a letter giving all the required information regarding the whereabouts of my bank account numbers and passwords. Since I have not been in contact with any of my UK family for 40 years (thank God!), informing them will not be required. On no account is the Embassy to be involved and if the RTP can be avoided then all well and good. Presumably a death certificate will be required by the wat before they turn the gas up a notch and I am currently investigating this. The sources of my income will of course have to be informed so that no further payments are made and the Ministry of Work and Pensions terminates payments to me and initiates payments to her on her own account. Have I forgotten anything?

My wife's young son had been unable to read or write in Thai despite attending school and private lessons. In desperation we shipped him off to a wat for six months. On the the third day he telephoned to tell us that he didn't need any money as the previous day he had attended a funeral and collected 300 baht for 10 minutes chanting. I offered to buy him an Uzi so that he could make all our fortunes.

[dutch]

I have a notarized will (in Thai and English).

This will is also filed at the central registration office in my "home"country.

As far as the Thai "business":Our lawyers office is executor and the instructions are very clear.

Assist my (thai) wife with the cremation ceremony (quick in one day and no family involved) and with the banks (thai) and other small issues.

No need for her to spend a lot of money,she better uses it for herself.

Stupas are already prepaired at the local Wat.

[Tod Daniels]

While this doesn't address the O/P's question I thought I would share it;

I had the chance to go to a foreigner's funeral in a small village up-country last year.

He had been a long time resident of that village, was well known by everyone and well liked from the small talk I overheard.

When I went to see his body at the temple in the village's brand new "electrically refrigerated coffin" with the handy glass viewing window; I was surprised the coffin was soo short. From what I remembered, the man had been quite tall so I asked my friend about it.

She said they had to cut his legs off below his knees so he would fit inside. He was also broad shouldered as well, but from what I could see at least they hadn’t cut his arms off, only packed him in very snugly.

I guess once you're gone you're gone, so no one cares, but good to know anyway.