NONTHABURI, Thailand: Temple staff at Wat Rat Prakhong Tham in Thailand’s Nonthaburi province were left in shock when a 65-year-old woman was discovered alive inside her coffin, moments before her scheduled cremation.
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Employees reported hearing a faint knocking sound and slight movement from the coffin. Upon opening it, they found the woman opening her eyes and moving her arms, alive and responsive.
The woman had been brought to the temple by her brother, who had travelled from Phitsanulok province, about 500 kilometres away. According to Pairat Soodthoop, the temple’s manager for general and financial affairs, the woman had been bedridden for two years and recently lost consciousness, seemingly ceasing to breathe two days prior.
Thai woman miraculously found alive in coffin right before she was set to be cremated https://t.co/VH9KdlKzg6 pic.twitter.com/5bAUHzTNdk
— New York Post (@nypost) November 24, 2025
Her family first approached a hospital for treatment, but the facility declined due to the absence of an official death certificate. They then sought the temple’s free cremation service, which was also denied without the document.
While the staff explained the procedure for obtaining the certificate, they heard knocking from inside the coffin, prompting immediate checks. The woman was then rushed to a nearby hospital for medical care, where she was reported stable.
Me checking twitter:
“Thai woman found alive in coffin minutes before cremation”And that was me done checking for now… :s pic.twitter.com/LL9WIPlDRY
— Rachel Anderson (@reetsjel) November 25, 2025
The incident has raised concerns about premature death declarations and misdiagnoses, particularly for elderly or bedridden patients. Temple officials and medical experts have urged families to seek proper medical verification before declaring deaths to avoid such near-tragic events.
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Local authorities are now reviewing the case to ensure that proper procedures are followed and that such incidents do not occur again.