In an extraordinary incident that has shocked medical professionals and the public alike, a 65-year-old woman in Thailand who was presumed dead was discovered alive and moving inside her coffin moments before her scheduled cremation on Sunday.
The Miraculous Discovery at Wat Rat Prakhong Tham Temple
The unbelievable scene unfolded at Wat Rat Prakhong Tham temple in Nonthaburi, where temple staff preparing for the cremation ceremony noticed something astonishing. The woman, who had been transported from Phitsanulok province for the ritual, began moving her arms and head inside the sealed coffin.
Pairat Soodthoop, the temple's general and financial affairs manager, described the shocking moment on Monday. According to his account, the woman's brother had driven her approximately 500 kilometers from Phitsanulok after local officials informed the family she had passed away the previous night.
"Staff heard a faint knocking sound coming from inside the coffin," Soodthoop explained. "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."
The Family's Heartbreaking Journey
The woman's younger brother revealed to reporters that his sister had been bedridden for approximately two years and recently became completely unresponsive. The family believed she had stopped breathing two days earlier, leading them to presume she had died.
Acting on this assumption, the brother placed her in a coffin and embarked on the long journey to a Bangkok hospital where she had previously expressed her wish to donate her organs. However, the hospital refused to accept the body because the brother lacked an official death certificate.
"I've cared for my sister for three years," the emotional brother told the Bangkok Post. "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."
When the temple, which offers free cremation services, also declined to proceed without proper documentation, the family found themselves in a difficult situation—until the miraculous discovery changed everything.
Medical Explanation and Recovery
Following the shocking discovery, the temple abbot immediately ordered that the woman be transported to a hospital for proper medical care. The temple generously assured the family they would cover all medical expenses.
Medical professionals later determined the true cause of the woman's condition: she had not experienced cardiac arrest or respiratory failure as initially believed, but was suffering from severe hypoglycemia—critically low blood sugar levels.
The woman received prompt medical treatment and remains under close supervision at the hospital. Her condition has stabilized, and she continues to recover from the traumatic ordeal that nearly led to her being cremated alive.
This remarkable case has raised important questions about death verification procedures and highlighted how certain medical conditions can mimic death, creating potentially tragic misunderstandings.
