Crematoriam

[MantisMan]

Sorry for the choice of topic.

I usually cut through Wat Bophut to get to Fishermans Market, especially Friday nights for walking street, and a few times, families have held their wakes there.

I got to wondering, where do they burn the bodies on this island?

I would imagine, anybody living nearby would notice the neighbors where having a BBQ or something.

Edited December 21, 2013 by MantisMan

[PoorSucker]

I have been to two falang memorials at Wat Bophut, Yes it's a good spot.

If you continue some 300 m further down on the temple grounds you will find the crematorium( look for the chimney )

Another good crematorium is Wat Samret just outside the Samui provincial court.

This two temples are the best as the use gas instead of the old school coal.

[limbos]

Having a BBQ? Maybe some more sensitivity on this subject would be in place.

[samuijimmy]

I think all the Buddhist temples around Thailand (perhaps Asia?) have cremation services. Look for the tall chimneys, at the Temples, that is what they are for ..... it's not just a Samui thing... It's more and more common to use cremation in many western countries too...

You see Chinese cemeteries around, Samui and KP, (elsewhere too) ... I am not sure if they intern the bodies or put contained the ashes in the shrine. Look too, at many of the Temple walls, usually they have memorials on them... not grave plots.

Not the best subject to start the day!

[Mole]

The Chinese do not put ashes in those Chinese mound graves, only entire bodies.

But getting a plot and maintaining a Chinese grave can be quite expensive, so many Chinese nowadays gets cremated. Their ashes are then interred at a dedicated place within a temple. It may be near a temple wall somewhere and there'll usually be a small picture of the deceased. This may not necessary be the place where they got cremated. It's more common to inter at a temple somewhere near relatives so it's more convenient for visits. So the body may have been cremated at a temple in the city where the person died, then the ashes interred elsewhere in the country closer to relatives.

The common Thai traditional funeral practice is after the religious ceremonies at the temple which can go on for days depending on the status of the person (people of very high status, the bodies may be kept for months or over a year before cremated), the body is then moved to a so called ป่าช้า "pa cha" which is usually in a grove or forest nearby the temple. This is a place dedicated to the cremation of and usually the disposal of the bones. In the old times, the เมรุ "men" which is the place where the burning too place, was simply done by burning wood. I think this is still the norm in pa cha upcountry.

However, in the cities, the ovens will be within the temple grounds and nowadays they're all modern electric and gas ovens, which will burn at a much higher temperature and won't create too much smog.

[Rooo]

Thank you Mole.

[John 1]

The Chinese do not put ashes in those Chinese mound graves, only entire bodies.

But getting a plot and maintaining a Chinese grave can be quite expensive, so many Chinese nowadays gets cremated. Their ashes are then interred at a dedicated place within a temple. It may be near a temple wall somewhere and there'll usually be a small picture of the deceased. This may not necessary be the place where they got cremated. It's more common to inter at a temple somewhere near relatives so it's more convenient for visits. So the body may have been cremated at a temple in the city where the person died, then the ashes interred elsewhere in the country closer to relatives.

The common Thai traditional funeral practice is after the religious ceremonies at the temple which can go on for days depending on the status of the person (people of very high status, the bodies may be kept for months or over a year before cremated), the body is then moved to a so called ป่าช้า "pa cha" which is usually in a grove or forest nearby the temple. This is a place dedicated to the cremation of and usually the disposal of the bones. In the old times, the เมรุ "men" which is the place where the burning too place, was simply done by burning wood. I think this is still the norm in pa cha upcountry.

However, in the cities, the ovens will be within the temple grounds and nowadays they're all modern electric and gas ovens, which will burn at a much higher temperature and won't create too much smog.

The temple in Lam Hi just before Ban Po still uses wood.

[Tropicalevo]

There is a crematorium at Wat Plai Laem as well.

[Mole]

I'd like to mention that pregnant women won't get cremated, but the tradition is to bury them somewhere in the pa cha grounds. It has to be in a pa cha and not inside temple grounds. Their hands will be tied together at the front in a wai with a lotus flower between hands and buried.

I don't know the reasons to this though.

[fvw53]

I am a farang living in Thailand since 25 years and if many things can be said about Buddhism in this country, one thing is sure ; the crematoriums of the temples provide a great social service at a cost which is affordable to everybody.

[PoorSucker]

I'd like to mention that pregnant women won't get cremated, but the tradition is to bury them somewhere in the pa cha grounds. It has to be in a pa cha and not inside temple grounds. Their hands will be tied together at the front in a wai with a lotus flower between hands and buried.

I don't know the reasons to this though.

The krasue (กระสือ)?

[Mole]

No, the krasue is another type of ghost. Not pregnant.

The pregnant ghost is ผีตายทั้งกลม phi tai thang klom similar to the Mae Nak legend.

[Rooo]

Post removed, enough with the bickering please.

[MantisMan]

Having a BBQ? Maybe some more sensitivity on this subject would be in place.

It was made in as a jest.

My apologies if I offended anybody.

[limbos]

Having a BBQ? Maybe some more sensitivity on this subject would be in place.

It was made in as a jest.

My apologies if I offended anybody. alt=wai2.gif pagespeed_url_hash=1722055545 width=20 height=20>

It ain't funny, especially not if you had family members and friends being cremated here. It's a very emotional moment in life, not to be brought down to the level of 'humour' that you tried to attempt.

[Rooo]

We have our answers.