A woman presumed dead was discovered to be alive just before her cremation ceremony when temple workers heard knocking from her coffin. The startling incident unfolded at Wat Rat Prakongtham Temple in Nonthaburi, Bangkok, as workers witnessed movement inside the coffin. The woman, identified as 65-year-old Chonthirat Sakulkoo, who had been bedridden for two years, was found alive. Her brother, Mongkol Sakulkoo, revealed that despite being informed of her death, they proceeded with the cremation process after receiving official documents.

The temple staff, including treasurer Pairat Sudthup, were taken aback when they heard faint knocking sounds from the coffin while discussing the death certificate requirement with the family. Upon opening the coffin, they found Ms. Chonthirat alive but in a state of deep unresponsiveness due to severe hypoglycemia. She was promptly transported to Bang Yai Hospital for further evaluation. Doctors confirmed that she did not experience cardiac arrest or respiratory failure but required additional medical observation before returning home to Phitsanulok.

This incident has sparked public interest, shedding light on potential flaws in end-of-life protocols. The family’s reliance on local declarations of death and non-medical paperwork to transport the woman’s presumed deceased body to the temple raised concerns about the necessity of formal medical procedures in such cases.