In a surprising turn of events, a woman believed to have passed away was discovered to be alive inside her coffin just before the scheduled cremation ceremony as staff heard knocking sounds emanating from the casket.
The startling incident unfolded on Sunday at a Buddhist temple called Wat Rat Prakongtham Temple in Nonthaburi province near Bangkok. Temple workers noticed movement coming from the woman’s coffin, leading them to open it and reveal a 65-year-old Thai woman named Chonthirat Sakulkoo, who was still breathing.
Chonthirat, who had been bedridden for two years and showing signs of declining health, had seemingly stopped breathing a couple of days earlier. Her brother, Mongkol Sakulkoo, explained that they were informed of her passing by officials, who then proceeded to make arrangements for her cremation at the temple.
Upon realizing the woman was alive, temple staff requested an official death certificate before proceeding with any cremation procedures. During the interaction with the family, a faint knocking sound was heard from the coffin, prompting them to open it and witness Chonthirat moving and making sounds.
After assessing her vital signs using basic equipment, she was swiftly taken to Bang Yai Hospital for further evaluation. Doctors determined that she had experienced severe hypoglycemia, causing her to fall into a deep unconscious state resembling death.
Despite being deemed healthy enough to return home by hospital staff, it was decided that Chonthirat should remain under medical observation before heading back to Phitsanulok, her hometown in northern Thailand. The incident has sparked public interest, shedding light on potential gaps in end-of-life protocols as the family relied on local declarations and non-medical paperwork to transport her presumed deceased body to the temple, illustrating a disparity in handling such situations.