Farang Price?

[Phil Conners]

Was just idly reading through Pattaya Today when I fell over this article, When death strikes in Pattaya:

[...]Embassies won’t usually pay for hygienic disposal costs. If there is no insurance available, then friends or relatives have to bear the costs. A typical, economy cremation in the Pattaya area, without frills, is now around 50,000 baht.[...]

How can a typical, economy cremation in the Pattaya area, without frills be around 50,000 baht? I know gasolin prices have gone up recently, but uncle seems to burn leaves at every corner without much worry and I'm sure most but the richest Thais would wince at the thought of spending 50 gray notes on a crematioin.

Seems to me we're getting the farang price, even when we go?

[Neeranam]

Pattaya is a big embarassment for the embassies.

It is a holiday sex resort, quite right screw the foreigners who screw the locals.

What about the rest of Thailand? I suppose those in Pattaya have ruined it for the rest of us too.

[lopburi3]

I would suspect this includes the three days of prayers, food, expenses and gifts and do not find it that much out of line as a total cost. Believe most Thai people pay at least that much; and I am not talking about the rich. As said in the article if nobody takes responsibility most Embassies will pay for the basic cremation.

[Phil Conners]

Then "friends and relatives" should certainly have the option of being consultet before they will assume the bill for three days of prayers, food, expenses and gifts.

We were talking about a typical, economy cremation in the Pattaya area, without frills, remember? Just basic disposal really.

[lopburi3]

And who said they would not be consulted? In fact it says that in most cases the Embassy will pick up the bill if no family or friends do. There happen to be costs involved in dyeing wherever it happens. To try and make this out as a "foreign price" when no details for comparison are available is not valid in my mind.

[Thaiquila]

Hmmm.

Reminds me of my financial plan.

The true measure of financial success is when the check to cover your final expenses ... BOUNCES.

[Sheryl]

And who said they would not be consulted? In fact it says that in most cases the Embassy will pick up the bill if no family or friends do. There happen to be costs involved in dyeing wherever it happens. To try and make this out as a "foreign price" when no details for comparison are available is not valid in my mind.

Actually as I read it, it says embassies WON'T pick up the tab. Mine wouldn't, for sure.

I'm sure the cost at small rural wat would be less. I live in a comparatively poor agricultural area where for sure nobody has anywhere near that kind of money but they manage to have cremations just the same...at small, rustic wats which are a far cry in socioec terms from the elaborate ones found in cities.

On a side note, wonder what happens if nobody coughs up the money?....just curious.

[lopburi3]

I think you will find that even upcountry people who have very little are spending a lot more than you believe. I suspect that an upcountry 3 day (which is a normal poor family affair) is likely to be in the range of 30-35,000 baht these days. The family may not be out that much if donations are received from family and friends attending but the affair itself does cost.

[Phil Conners]

Well I'm an ateist and believe that when we die we're just a lump of dead meat. Following that I hope when I croak I'll just be unceremoniously destructed in whatever happens to be the least expensive way without bothering my relatives with rediculous payments for nothing.

Religion is and has always just been the easy way of getting less intelligent people to part with their money.

Edited January 7, 2006 by madsere

[lopburi3]

As an aside to upcountry spending our maid returned today after a week in the Northeast and the ordination ceremony of two family members into the monkhood. Total cost to her and several sisters was 100,000 baht plus two pigs and a water buffalo. Over 1,000 people attended the festivities and most departed carrying several bags of food for later.

When it comes to ceremony and party things are often on a much grander scale than a persons income level would indicate.

[Phil Conners]

QED.

[astral]

Then "friends and relatives" should certainly have the option of being consultet before they will assume the bill for three days of prayers, food, expenses and gifts.

We were talking about a typical, economy cremation in the Pattaya area, without frills, remember? Just basic disposal really.

Three days is the reasonable minimum but it can be done in a day if you really want.

Having had dealings with a few Thai funerals, I think the cost is reasonable

and NOT a farang price.

[Dragonman]

I think you will find that even upcountry people who have very little are spending a lot more than you believe. I suspect that an upcountry 3 day (which is a normal poor family affair) is likely to be in the range of 30-35,000 baht these days. The family may not be out that much if donations are received from family and friends attending but the affair itself does cost.

Yes I think about 30-35,000 baht would probably be an average, and what the local community would see as being non"cheap charlie". However basic funerals can be obtained for 10,000 baht as my wife's uncle died last year leaving an extremely poor widow. I bought their cow at a cost of 10,000 baht to pay for funeral costs, although I admit I have little prospect of seeing a return on said cow.

[Phil Conners]

My wife told me the funeral costs for buring her grandfather less than 6 months ago, upcountry, was no more than 12-15,000 baht for a full and complete funeral.

Now cows or similar bull seen or expected.

Someone is being taken to the cleaners.

[Doza]

If you are just a dead farang in Pattaya with no-one to pay for your funeral why would there be prayers, food, gifts and ceremony. Wouldn't this be just a burning? These expenses would not come into play. It does not take 3 days to cremate someone.

[Sheryl]

Well this thread (and the recent deaths of several friends) got me curious so I checked out the costs where I live -- remote, poor, rural area. Local wat -- a simple wooden building near the mountains -- cost is less than 5,000 Baht. Infor seems accuarte and was itemized down to the fuel and the water to put the fire out afterwards. Does not include the cost of the coffin but around here most folk would just make one themselves as few could afford to buy one.

I should stress though that this is from a really small rural village. In the provincial town I'm sure it would be much, much more, and of course even more in a real urban area like Bangkok.

Anyhow for those of you concerned with cost, consider the little temple in Ban Kon Kwang, Prachinburi....

[Phil Conners]

5,000, not 50,000 - that's what I though. Thanks.