My little girls are very though provoking sometimes. We were driving past a newish shop a couple of days ago and the youngest (5) asked if she could have a fancy box for her dressing up clothes. I was trying to pull out into the traffic so said something along the lines of 'maybe'. On the way home she said there it is lets go. I took notice at last and it was a coffin shop. This got me thinking, if someone dies, do they take the body to the shop to be fitted, does someone come out to measure you up, or is it one size fits all? Also, does the cremation happen at your local temple or would you take the remains to the 'ancestral village'?

Miss youngest got a cardboard box for her dress up clothes in the end.

I can't answer for sure, but in my limited experience, the coffins aren't fitted. I had an aquaintance (spouse of an employee) who died, so I ended up helping with the arrangements. Prior to the cremation, he was "stuffed" in the coffin, because he didn't fit. I don't know exactly know who they did it, because he was quite tall and when I saw the coffin, I know it must have taken some doing.

He was cremated locally (he was from a foreign country). Not all temples have crematoriums.

Another friend of mine has a quesiton maybe somebody can answer. Can bodies be shipped back to their country? I know most everyone is cremated and sent back, but what is the law/procedure for actually sending a body back? My friend, for some reason, is really scared he will get cremated--I don't know why, he's in good health and in his late 20's. Do you think it's cause he rides a motorcycle?

Well, I can only answer for the Thai people I know but, unless money is an issue, most people bring the body back home for cremation. The family is there and the bone fragments/ashes will be kept at the local Wat.

Coffins are not fitted.

For foreigners, many travel and health insurances will offer repatriation of remains for an extra fee. Remains can either be ashes or the body, depending on the person's wishes.