A 65-year-old Thai woman, believed to be dead, stunned temple staff in Bangkok when faint knocking sounds emerged from inside her coffin after her brother brought her in for cremation. The incident, which occurred at the Wat Rat Prakhong Tham temple in Nonthaburi province, left the staff and visitors in awe as they witnessed the woman moving her arms and head within the casket.
Pairat Soodthoop, the general and financial affairs manager at the temple, recounted how he and other staff were discussing cremation procedures with the woman’s brother when they suddenly heard the unusual noise. He noted that he asked them to open the coffin and was stunned to see the woman slightly opening her eyes and knocking on the side of the coffin. According to Pairat, she had been knocking for quite some time, indicating a possible awareness of her situation.
The woman’s brother had driven her from Phitsanulok province to be cremated, believing she had been bedridden for about two years before her health declined and she appeared to stop breathing two days earlier. He had planned to have her organs donated as per her wishes, but the hospital initially refused to accept her without an official death certificate. The temple, which offers free cremations, also rejected her without the document, leading to the unexpected revival.
As Pairat was explaining how to obtain the death certificate, the knocking from the coffin was heard again. Staff opened it, confirmed she was alive, and sent her to a nearby hospital. The abbot later announced that the temple would cover her medical expenses, according to Pair, highlighting the community’s support during this unusual event.