Massive Songkran festival travel spurs coffin business

[Lite Beer]

Massive Songkran festival travel spurs coffin business

BANGKOK: -- Songkran festival is the period when people return homes for celebration and family reunion.

Millions of people will travel out of the capital for homes in the provinces at the same period thus causing traffic jams on highways to the north, northeast and south.

The massive Songkran festival travel will unavoidably bring highway accidents resulting in the high fatalities each year.
Forecast of this year’s road mishap fatalities is about 300-400 deaths through the seven day period described as ‘seven dangerous day of Songkran festival.
Last year only the first four day of the dangerous period from April 11-14, 218 people have died from road accidents.
This year authorities were determined to bring down the figure with many campaign being launched.

However death couldn’t be avoided as long as massive festival travels continue.

But road accident death is making a businesses running, coffin making.
The business is lucrative during the period with coffin makers saying they have had to stockpile their products in order to meet the demand.

Workers at coffin making factories have had to increase their output especially during the period of Songkran and during the New Year as a result of the increased demand because of deaths from road accidents.

Coffin makers are thus one of the parties to profit from such unfortunate occurrences.

“Coffins have evolved into many different designs with many varieties to choose from,” said one coffin maker Viroj Suriyaseni, a heir to Suriyaseni coffin supplier firm.

He said the most popular are the white colored ‘Thep-phanom’ (with sculpture of deities, hands clasped in prayer adorning the covers).

At present, coffin makers are increasing their output to meet the demand during the so called ‘Seven Dangerous Days’ during festivals when traffic accident fatalities are the highest in the country, he said.

Coffins have become symbols of social status here in Thailand with price starting from 1,000 Baht for the regular white coloured ‘Thep-phanom’ coffins that have been popular for more than 50 years and some can fetch as much as hundreds of thousands Baht.

For example, coffins made from teak adorned with pearl inlays can cost as much as 600,000 Baht depending on the detail of the art work.

Normal demand for coffins is about one to two coffins per day but rises to seven or eight, or even 10 coffins per day during the ‘Seven Dangerous Days’ period which is a substantial increase.
That is why many suppliers start stocking up on coffins as early as March in order to keep up with demand, he said.

Coffin manufactures revealed that on top of the ‘Seven Deadly Days’ during major festivals in which many deaths occur, they will also have to shut down to allow workers to return home to celebrate with their families.

As a result of this, prior to major festivals, coffin making will have to increase the production by at least 20 percent.

Many factory owners reveal that as of March, this year’s demand for coffins, especially pricy ones, have dropped significantly and distributors have had to lower their stocks. They say that demand for pricy expensive coffins have fallen by half and liturgy ceremonies which traditionally have been held for five days have now been reduced to only three days because of the economic down turn and the political unrest in the country.

Every year during this period, coffin sales have been high especially in rural areas such as in the Esan or northeastern provinces. High demand for coffins during this period stems from the fact that many deaths occur on the roads because local people who have move to the cities to find work will take the opportunity during the festival to return home to visit friend and relatives and traffic accidents rise accordingly.

In fact, the Esan region is the highest purchaser of coffins during festivals and merchants say that the demand will only abate when the rainy season and the Buddhist Lent arrives.

Coffin sales during the rainy season and Buddhist Lent drop significantly.

Another coffin maker said the drop is between 10 – 20 percent on average due to fact that during Buddhist Lent, there is a lower percentage of alcohol intake resulting in less deaths on the roads.

The highest demand for coffins occurs during the cold season where we see the most deaths of the elderly from natural causes or otherwise in the country. The period from October to December of each year see the highest demand for coffins while during the ‘Seven Dangerous Days’ on every festival where people return to their homes in the provinces, coffin sales are very high in rural regions, he said.

The periods during festivals yield the highest statistics of death from road accidents. That is why they are known as the ‘Seven Dangerous Days’.
The main culprits are drunken driving, fatigue and sleeping at the wheel which as a consequence help to generate high demand for coffins which in hindsight is every human’s final resting place.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/massive-songkran-festival-travel-spurs-coffin-business/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=massive-songkran-festival-travel-spurs-coffin-business

-- Thai PBS 2014-04-21

[Costas2008]

That's very reassuring for drunken and speed drivers.

If you die in an accident you are going in a beautiful coffin.

Now, carry on as usual.

[MESmith]

"The massive Songkran festival travel will unavoidably bring highway accidents resulting in the high fatalities each year."

Surely traffic accidents can be avoided. Drive with a bit more care & attention...

[PatOngo]

It's also a bonus period for panelbeaters.

[art vandelay]

"The massive Songkran festival travel will unavoidably bring highway accidents resulting in the high fatalities each year."

Surely traffic accidents can be avoided. Drive with a bit more care & attention...

requiring drivers to take a valid test of their ability to drive before granting them a license

educating all road users on safe and considerate behaviour on the roads

effective policing and prosecution of traffic law violators

just a few practical and measurable steps that could be taken for the benefit of all.

[dcutman]

Normal demand for coffins is about one to two coffins per day but rises to seven or eight, or even 10 coffins per day during the ‘Seven Dangerous Days’ period which is a substantial increase.

An odd (morbid) twist on things.

But the numbers dont support this theory. On average approx 70 people are killed in road crashes daily. Yesterday there were 39 reported deaths. Most likely the 10 fold increase in coffin demand during Songkran is from alcohol and drug abuse related deaths.

[salavan]

thats a very positive outlook

[kurtgruen]

thats a very positive outlook

I love Songkran.....

[kurtgruen]

That's very reassuring for drunken and speed drivers.

If you die in an accident you are going in a beautiful coffin.

Now, carry on as usual.

Well, since most people over here believe in Reincarnation, who not party and have fun and if you die, you just come back and party and have fun some more :-) Beats the depressing Western outlook...if you have fun, you die and go to hell, or you can be good and your life will be boring controlled and against most of your internal instincts.

The way I look at it, if you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space

[freedom4life]

Do I see some kind of negative reports/news being associated with Songkran most of the time? I love the event and so do many others...and a great sense of freedom, dance and celebration with it. I don't care one iota with what happens in between...just be responsible when engaged in such an event. If there is some conspiracy to do away with it..good luck, because I for one will not go along with it.

Edited April 12, 2014 by freedom4life

[Artamus]

The article/headline doesn't make sense by linking Songkran driving to a booming coffin business.

If there's 400 deaths in the period that's say 3 or 4 times the usual. So 200-300 coffins spread all over the country's coffin makers does not make a "boom in business". Spreading that many "extra" coffins would mean less than one per business. Not really a boom.

[upena]

There is a boom - the Thai Gov under-reports the numbers drastically

[nookiebear]

No one has mentioned the main cause of accidents is due to alcohol,,,,,,bang ALL the culprits away for 5 years & the problem would vanish overnight!

[harada]

Can't wait until they change from driving on the left to the right, I might go into the coffin business myself.

[marko kok prong]

i suggest there is a positive side to this story as the people who are working at the coffin makers will likley be so tired after all the overtime that possibly they will be unable to take part in the carnage,then again, maybe not.

[marko kok prong]

Why has TAT not got hold of this,'come to Thailand for Songkran,feel like you are in movie Death race 2000'

[kurnell]

The article/headline doesn't make sense by linking Songkran driving to a booming coffin business.

If there's 400 deaths in the period that's say 3 or 4 times the usual. So 200-300 coffins spread all over the country's coffin makers does not make a "boom in business". Spreading that many "extra" coffins would mean less than one per business. Not really a boom.

I think you can add a few thousand drunken <deleted> falling of balconies, into rivers, out of trees etc

[DekDaeng]

It's also a bonus period for panelbeaters.

It's the scrap metal dealers that clean up.

[Frank James]

Not to be irreverent, but...why do they bother with a coffin when the box gets incinerated in the cremation process? The cheap ones are made of the flimsiest particle board. Burning releases formaldehyde, plus whatever is in the paint.

It's always something.

[Fookhaht]

They should build coffins to look like crashed cars, motorbikes, or beer bottles, just to remind the funeral attendees of the stupidness of that particular victim's death.

Why white-wash it with a beautiful pristine white coffin?

Edited April 12, 2014 by Fookhaht

[Bpuumike]

"The massive Songkran festival travel will unavoidably bring highway accidents resulting in the high fatalities each year."

Surely traffic accidents can be avoided. Drive with a bit more care & attention...

requiring drivers to take a valid test of their ability to drive before granting them a license

educating all road users on safe and considerate behaviour on the roads

effective policing and prosecution of traffic law violators

just a few practical and measurable steps that could be taken for the benefit of all.

Think head and brick wall.

And a newspaper article to confirm the major cause of so many deaths.

[Bpuumike]

Not to be irreverent, but...why do they bother with a coffin when the box gets incinerated in the cremation process? The cheap ones are made of the flimsiest particle board. Burning releases formaldehyde, plus whatever is in the paint.

It's always something.

You haven't quite thought it through. It's irreverent but just spray the deceased with formalin. I understand it's a common practice in some areas of thai life.

[slapout]

Village;

It seems most villages have a coffin maker, the food is purchases locally and cooked by family and close neighbors, the ice, booze and soft drinks and some of the flowers are about the only thing that sends money out of the local economy. Thinking of it coffin maker might be one of the few businesses that you don't have 4 or 5 of the same businesses within arrow shot of one another. The funeral stimulates the local social network, feeds one and all for 3 to 5 days and the money is kind of passed around locally..

Granted this is not like the city, big villages, wealthy deceased etc but then again some of the smaller villages even have a death benifet where all families who reside there give a set amount to the desceased heir/s via the headman.It reminds me of the smaller rural towns back home (population 200 to 600) where everyone knows the deceased or at least part of their family

[starkey_rich]

And so the annual cull of the stupid begins.

Unfortunately it also involves the innocent.

[steveyinasia]

Only in Thailand would this be believable, and sadly.....acceptable

[Andre0720]

They have been informed beforehand by Darwin....

[SanukJoeII]

Can't wait until they change from driving on the left to the right, I might go into the coffin business myself.

I heard a rumour that they start testing the practice of driving on the right side. From Monday on trucks and buses start the test....

[Robby nz]

Don't know that the coffin business is so great , after all each person only ever gets one.

Edited April 12, 2014 by Robby nz

[HOOD Robin]

"The massive Songkran festival travel will unavoidably bring highway accidents resulting in the high fatalities each year."

Surely traffic accidents can be avoided. Drive with a bit more care & attention...

This is asking waaaaaaayy toooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much from the Thais.....

[blazes]

That's very reassuring for drunken and speed drivers.

If you die in an accident you are going in a beautiful coffin.

Now, carry on as usual.

Well, since most people over here believe in Reincarnation, who not party and have fun and if you die, you just come back and party and have fun some more :-) Beats the depressing Western outlook...if you have fun, you die and go to hell, or you can be good and your life will be boring controlled and against most of your internal instincts.

The way I look at it, if you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space

Excellent avatar you have....goes with your opinions precisely....