In a scene straight from a horror film, a 65-year-old Thai woman was discovered alive and knocking from inside her coffin just moments before her cremation was due to begin.
The Terrifying Discovery
The incident unfolded on Sunday at Wat Rat Prakongtham Temple in Nonthaburi province, on the outskirts of Bangkok. Temple staff preparing for the cremation ceremony heard faint knocking sounds coming from the coffin containing Chonthirat Sakulkoo.
Temple treasurer Pairat Sudthup described the chilling moment: "I was a bit surprised, so I asked them to open the coffin, and everyone was startled. I saw her opening her eyes slightly and knocking on the side of the coffin. She must have been knocking for quite some time."
Medical Mystery Unravels
Chonthirat had been bedridden for approximately two years with steadily declining health, according to her brother Mongkol Sakulkoo. Her condition had deteriorated until she appeared to have stopped breathing two days prior to the incident.
Mongkol explained: "I've cared for my sister for three years. Officials told us she had died. All the documents had been issued, so we placed her in a coffin and brought her to the temple for cremation."
After temple staff opened the coffin and found Chonthirat alive, they quickly assessed her vital signs using basic equipment before arranging emergency transport to Bang Yai Hospital.
Medical Explanation Emerges
Doctors determined that Chonthirat had not experienced cardiac arrest or respiratory failure as initially believed. Instead, medical professionals diagnosed her with extreme hypoglycaemia - a condition involving critically low blood sugar levels that can cause loss of consciousness and unresponsiveness resembling death.
While hospital staff initially informed the family on Sunday that Chonthirat was healthy enough to return home, doctors ultimately decided she should remain under medical observation for additional monitoring before travelling back to her home in Phitsanulok, northern Thailand.
Broader Implications
This near-tragic case has generated significant public interest across Thailand and raised serious questions about end-of-life verification procedures. The incident highlights potential gaps in how death is declared and verified in certain circumstances.
Concerningly, the family had relied on local declarations of death and non-medical paperwork to transport Chonthirat's presumed corpse to the temple. This documentation proved sufficient for transporting what was believed to be a deceased body but fell short of formal hospital standards for confirming death.
Temple staff had actually been in the process of explaining to the family that they required an official death certificate before the cremation could proceed when the knocking sounds were heard, potentially preventing a horrific outcome.
