Thai funerals follow the procedures below:
1. Lustrous Water Ceremony
The body of the deceased is ceremonially cleaned by the family before being dressed in a favourite set of clothes. This process is done by only close relatives or close friends and involves what amounts to an elaborate sponge bath. Traditionally, nam ob, or traditional perfumed water, was used. After cleaning the body, those participating in the cleaning ceremony will use lustrous water to pour on the hand of the deceased to ask for forgiveness for any wrongs to the deceased when they were still alive. Lustrous water is usually perfumed with jasmine flowers.
The Bathing Rite takes place on the evening of the first day. You would only attend this if you knew the deceased personally. The body is laid out on a table and covered with a cloth. Only the head and the right hand is showing. People then take turns to pour some scented water over the exposed hand. You can take this opportunity to make a blessing or to ask for forgiveness for past misdeeds. A sacred white string, called sai sin, is then tied around the ankles and wrists. The hands are held together in a prayer-like gesture holding a lotus flower and incense sticks. A coin is also put in the mouth. The body is then placed in a coffin and placed on a high table. It is then surrounded by flowers. A portrait of the deceased is also prominently displayed.
2. Closing the Coffin
Depending on the deceased’s position in society, the body is then sealed, either in a coffin or an urn by the morticians (there are several different types of coffins or urns, depending on social, political or professional position). The coffin is then sealed with wax. Then sornklin, a species of traditional funerary flowers — the name literally means hide the smell — are arranged around the coffin or urn. The body can be kept at home or at a temple where prayers are chanted by monks for the deceased’s soul. This normally lasts for three, five or seven days depending on the host or number of hosts (the bereaved from the extended family or community can be invited or can offer to host services). The body is traditionally kept for another 50 days or more before cremation but this practice is dying out. Prayers are usually chanted every 50 days until the body is cremated.
3. Making merit for the deceased.
Merit is made for the soul of the deceased. Until cremation, this is performed every 50 days. After cremation, it is usually performed either at the temple or at home on the anniversary of the deceased’s death.
4. Cremation
Cremation takes place at the temple. The body is prepared on the afternoon of the day of cremation for evening funeral prayers, when merit will be made for the soul of the deceased by hosting a ceremony of chanting by monks. The body, which is now ready for cremation, will be moved to the funeral pyre or crematorium. The procession is led by monks, and followed by friends and relatives. The procession goes around the pyre or crematorium three times before the body is cremated. Guests show respect to the dead by standing when the procession passes by. Once the funeral procession is complete, the host will invite senior guests to spread a cloth over the coffin. Then guests will be asked to perform a fake lighting of the cremation fire and ask for forgiveness for any offenses before the actual cremation starts, hence the differentiation between the normal cremation and the ‘real cremation’. Guests who are not particularly close to the deceased may leave before the real cremation. Guests remaining for the real cremation will be invited to the pyre or crematorium to add a cremation bouquet to the fire. This bouquet consists of a funeral flower, a candle and incense, all prepared by the host.
5. Collection of the remains
After the cremation, the collection of the ashes or remains will take place on the day of cremation, at around 19.00hrs and kept for further funeral prayers that will take place at 20.00hrs. On the next morning, monks will be invited to the house for merit making and breakfast. The collected remains will be brought back home for burial or to be scattered on a body of water. There are many families who retain some of the ashes as relics of the deceased.
Should you have the misfortune of suffering a loss in your family or among your friends, the official procedure is as follows:
Death registration can be categorised into 2 cases;
Those occurring at home: the home owner or the first person to find the body must report to the local district office within 24 hours of the death or at the time the body is found.
Those occurring elsewhere: the first person to find the body must report to the local district area within 24 hours of death or at the time the body is found.
The following documents or evidence are required to file a death report:
The Identity Card of the person reporting the death.
The Identity Card or the House Registration of the deceased.
The Police Report or Medical Certification of Death from the hospital
Places to report a death:
Deaths occurring within a municipality must be reported to the municipality office.
Deaths occurring outside a municipality must be reported to the sub-district or provincial office.
Deaths occurring in Metropolitan Bangkok must be reported to the district office.
Deaths occurring outside Thailand must be report to the Thai embassy in that country.
Deaths where the place of occurrence cannot be determined must be reported to the local district or provincial office.
Late death registration:
In the case that a death report is filed later than 24-hours after the body has been discovered, there will be a fine of not more than THB 1,000.00.