Thai Funerals

[Braveheart]

Traditionally funerals last for a week. Crying is discouraged during the funeral, so as not to worry the spirit of the deceased. Many activities surrounding the funeral are intended to make merit for the deceased. Copies of Buddhist scriptures may be printed and distributed in the name of the deceased, and gifts are usually given to a local temple. Monks are invited to chant prayers that are intended to provide merit for the deceased, as well as to provide protection against the possibility of the dead relative returning as a malicious spirit. Often, a thread is connected to the corpse or coffin which is held by the chanting monks during their recitation; this thread is intended to transfer the merit of the monks' recitation to the deceased. The corpse is cremated, and the urn with the ash is usually kept in a chedi in the local temple. The Chinese minority however buries the deceased.

 

Extracted from Wikipedia: Funerals

[Panudate]

Wife's uncle died on my first trip to Thailand, completely freaked me out, having to go to the temple everyday, meeting 100's of relatives, Listening to everyone saying "farang khun deow!" Got a bit annoyed at that and said I wasn't going back, so wifes parents drove me to Pattaya, I think you know the rest of the story, if not, read it here! http://www.pattayaaddicts.com/forums/index...pic=818&hl=

[ost22]

An old man next to the place I stayed some years ago in Kanchanaburi died. The funeral took 5 days. It started at 4 o’clock in the morning whit laud music and the monks from the wat. Then there was party all day. The music stopped at about 2 in night. So I don’t sleep much for 5 days.