A shocking incident occurred in the Bang Yai district of Nonthaburi on Sunday, when a 65-year-old woman who had been previously declared dead was found alive just minutes before she was due to be cremated.
The near-disaster took place at Wat Rat Prakongtham and was captured in a livestream organised under the temple’s “Final Home” funeral support programme.
Relatives had travelled from Phitsanulok after being informed by local officials that the woman had died the previous night. All necessary documents had been issued, and she was placed in a coffin and transported to the temple for cremation.
During final preparations, temple staff opened the coffin and noticed unexpected movement inside.
Shocked, they immediately alerted the abbot, who halted the ceremony and ordered the woman to be rushed to hospital. He also assured the family that the temple would cover all medical expenses.
The woman’s younger brother, who had cared for her for three years, told reporters that he trusted the official documentation provided.
“I’ve cared for my sister for three years,” he said. “Officials told us she had died. All the documents had already been issued, so we placed her in a coffin and brought her to the temple for cremation.”
Medical personnel later confirmed that the woman had not suffered cardiac arrest or respiratory failure. Instead, she was experiencing severe hypoglycemia, critically low blood sugar, which can closely mimic the symptoms of death.
The incident has raised serious concerns about medical evaluation procedures and the risk of premature death declarations.
