Half A Million Thais Expected For The Cremation Of Revered Monk.

[Lite Beer]

Medics await half a million for monk's cremation

By The Nation.

UDON THANI -- The Public Health Ministry has prepared 500 doctors and nurses, a field hospital, 20 ambulances and three helicopters to support some half a million people expected to attend the cremation of Luangta Maha Bua Yannasampanno on Saturday.

The teams will provide free medical treatment at Wat Ban Tad, where the revered monk served as abbot, until March 7.

Deputy Public Health Minister Pansiri Kulanartsiri said the ministry had recruited 500 doctors and nurses from various hospitals to work in nine medical tents and 100 small mobile medical units.

At nearby Ban Tad School, a 10-bed field hospital has been set up with four emergency medical teams and specialists, though Central Udon Thani Hospital will take most patients.

-- The Nation 2011-03-03

[Credo]

This seems like a lot of medical personnel. Are they expecting a lot of sick or physically impaired people?

[webfact]

Medics ready for monk's funeral

By The Nation

UDON THANI

About half a million people are expected to attend the cremation ceremony of Luangta Maha Bua tomorrow

The Public Health Ministry has arranged 500 doctors and nurses, a field hospital, 20 ambulances and three helicopters to support some half a million people expected to attend the cremation of Luangta Maha Bua Yannasampanno tomorrow.

The teams will provide free medical treatment at Wat Ban Tad, where the revered monk served as abbot, until March 7.

Deputy Public Health Minister Pansiri Kulanartsiri said the ministry had recruited 500 doctors and nurses from various hospitals to work in nine medical tents and 100 small mobile medical units.

At nearby Ban Tad School, a 10bed field hospital has been set up with four emergency medical teams and specialists, though Central Udon Thani Hospital will take most patients.

Udon Thani public health chief Dr Sanchai Piyapongkul said his office had trained 1,000 cooks at the almshouse on food safety and sanitation. He said tests on drinking water quality at the temple found it was safe and up to standard.

As tens of thousands people waited in line to pay their respects to the late monk's body yesterday, disciples handed each a locket with a portrait of Luangta Maha Bua. They also handed out 50,000 copies of a book titled "Luangta Wat Ban Tad's Compilation of Anecdotes and Observations".

Volunteers have arranged half a million of the monk's books and CDs into sets to give to attendees at the cremation ceremony tomorrow.

These include 1,000 sets comprising 16 books and four CDs for senior monks; 500 of the same sets for libraries; 150 sets of 10 books and two CDs for VIPs; 15,000 sets of six books and four CDs for monks; 2,000 sets of six books and one CD for guests at the temple pavilion; and 15,000 sets of six books and four CDs for the general public.

Meanwhile, 100,000 copies of a 460page hardcover cremation memorial book will be printed for distribution on August 12, which was Luangta Maha Bua's birthday.

This morning, the monk's body will be brought to the temporary crematorium in a procession attended by senior monks, HRH Princess Chulabhorn as well as Luangta Maha Bua's sisters Chandee and Suwan Lohitdee, representing the relatives and disciples.

The last round of money and gold donations to the national reserves, a 14year project very dear to Luangta Maha Bua, took place yesterday afternoon at the temple.

The project's official closure and transfer of the donations to the national reserves will take place on April 12.

From January 30 to March 1, donations totalled about Bt268 million in cash and 55 kilograms of gold.

-- The Nation 2011-03-04

[asiawatcher]

Amazing pre-occupation with the send off of a monk's carcass. We all live in hope there is something else to transit to.

[bangon04]

"Volunteers have arranged half a million of the monk's books and CDs into sets to give to attendees at the cremation ceremony tomorrow.

These include 1,000 sets comprising 16 books and four CDs for senior monks; 500 of the same sets for libraries; 150 sets of 10 books and two CDs for VIPs; 15,000 sets of six books and four CDs for monks; 2,000 sets of six books and one CD for guests at the temple pavilion; and 15,000 sets of six books and four CDs for the general public."

So guests attending the Pavilion only get 1 CD, VIPs only get 2 CDs, while the general public gets 4 CDs?

I suppose there is no resale market for these. Certainly no bootlegging potential...

[jayjay0]

Feel free to correct me if my math is wrong.

500,000 people taking up one square meter converts into five square Kilometers of room to just stand in. Even if they took up less they would still need at least three square Kilometers.

Housing will be at a premium.

Might be the time to bring J C out of retirement to feed the throng with some bread and fish.

[Bagwan]

Feel free to correct if my arithmetic is incorrect but this amounts to 217,500 books and 128,300 CDs. Who is providing the money to pay for all these? Why 4 CDs each when 1 DVD would have sufficed? What pearls of wisdom does all this media contain? What is the point of all this palaver?

Is this yet another case of 'do not adjust your mind, reality is at fault'? Even my boggles are boggling.

[bangon04]

Feel free to correct me if my math is wrong.

500,000 people taking up one square meter converts into five square Kilometers of room to just stand in. Even if they took up less they would still need at least three square Kilometers.

Housing will be at a premium.

Might be the time to bring J C out of retirement to feed the throng with some bread and fish.

I think the ceremony will probably last 3 or 4 days, so they won't all have to squeeze into the Wat at the same time. Interesting image though.....

[chuckd]

I live about 80 kilometers west of the temple and traffic heading to Udorn is brutal this morning. Many from our village have gone and I even had a chance to go.

I decided to pass up the invitation.