Funerals in Thailand

Funerals in Thailand (13 images)

Funerals in Thailand are very different from those in the U.S., but since we've never attended one we can see only those differences that are obvious.

For one thing, the coffins in Thailand look like big refrigerators lying down. One can easily see them in the shops around town where they are on display in the shops that sell them. They are metal, elaborately decorated with gold and red and some of them actually have refrigeration inside when the body has to be kept for a long time. They stand on equally elaborate platforms.

I've included a photo from the newspaper showing a grieving mother seated in front of the casket of her son that is being set up behind her.

Paper wall hangings in the coffin shop were beautiful, and, I assume, somehow connected to the ceremony.

Another diffeence is that in Thailand paper flowers are used for funerals. All around the city one sees displays of brightly colored paper flowers and Jane told us they were for dead people. It's amazing that in a country blessed with so many beautiful flowers that are so very cheap the people choose to use paper flowers to show their respect to the dead.

Another difference is that they cremate all bodies, and some temples have a crematorium in the back. The buildings are small with very tall chimneys. Not every temple has one.

Click a picture to see a larger view.

Coffin and Platform