A planned cremation in a Thai temple was abruptly halted after an elderly woman, believed by her family to have died days earlier, was discovered alive inside her coffin.
The woman, who had been bedridden for the past two years, was transported more than 300 kilometers by a charity group to Wat Rat Prakong Tham for a free cremation service. Her relatives said she had stopped eating for several days and later became unresponsive, leading them to assume she had passed away. Believing there was no need for medical intervention, the family immediately processed the paperwork required for transport to the temple.
Temple staff said they were preparing to move the coffin into the ceremonial hall when they heard knocking and faint cries from within. One of the workers, Thammanoon, recounted the moment he lifted the fabric covering the woman. “I peeled back the cloth covering her and I froze when I saw she was still moving. She was conscious, breathing weakly and nodding her head, but she was unable to speak,” he said.
Relatives immediately called for emergency assistance, and the woman was rushed to the nearest hospital. Doctors later determined that she had not experienced cardiac or respiratory arrest, but instead suffered from severe hypoglycemia, a condition that can induce a comatose state.
She is now receiving medical care, with the temple also extending help for her treatment costs. Her brother, Mangkol, said the family was overwhelmed when they learned she was still alive. “I was shocked, surprised and happy that my sister was still alive. I nearly collapsed from surprise. It’s a miracle that she woke up,” he said.
