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Thai funerals usually follow Buddhist funeral rites, with variations in practice depending on the culture of the region. People of certain religious and ethnic groups also have their own specific practices. Thai Buddhist funerals generally consist of a bathing ceremony shortly after death, daily chanting by Buddhist monks, and a cremation ceremony. Cremation is practised by most peoples throughout the country, with the major exceptions being Thai Chinese, Muslims and Christians.
The first ritual following death is the bathing ceremony. Today, it more commonly takes place as a ceremonial pouring of water. Guests to the ceremony will, one by one, pour water infused with lustral water over the hand of the deceased. Following the bathing ceremony, the hair is ritually combed and the body dressed and placed in the coffin; the undertaker will perform certain rituals during the process.
The coffin is then placed on display for merit making, and daily rites are held, with monks invited to chant the Abhidhamma. This was traditionally held at the home, but today it usually takes place at a Buddhist temple ( wat), usually in the evening. Such rites are usually held for three, five or seven consecutive days. An important ritual during such funeral rites is bangsukun (บังสุกุล, from Pali paṃsukūla)—the offering of cloth to monks on behalf of the dead. Each chanting ceremony may be sponsored by a family member or friend who pays for refreshments and gifts (cloth, etc) to the monks.
The body is finally disposed of in a cremation ceremony, which takes place at a temple's crematorium (called men (เมรุ) in Thai for their symbolisation of Mount Meru). The body may be taken around the temple's crematorium three times in an anti-clockwise direction, usually via a cart which is pulled, by either Monks or family and friends. The body will then be taken up to the men, where the cremation will occur. Sometimes the cremation will be held after waiting a certain period (e.g. 100 days or a year following death). Merit-making rites are also held at 7, 50 and 100 days after death.Department of Fine Arts. Reproduced in
When the 100-day mark for state funerals is reached, special cremation book, pamphlets, and flyers containing Buddhist doctrines and on the funeral service are commissioned and special services are held.
Once everything is set for cremation as per Buddhist and Hindu customs, the cremation proper begins with one final late-night service for the decreased officially kicking off the cremation services.
The funeral procession is held from the temple or funeral hall towards the nearest crematorium. For senior state, military and police officials the Royal Thai Armed Forces and the Royal Thai Police provide the funeral escort detachment, buglers, and the military band (plus a firing party and for high-ranking officers an artillery battery). For senior and high-ranking Buddhist clergymen the King's Guards Corps or units of the RTAF and/or the RTP can be ordered to provide the funeral escorts and the massed bands, while other RTAF personnel serve as linemen and the BRH provides the traditional funeral carriage if the funeral is for the Supreme Patriarch of Thailand. The cremation proper is then held in the evening, and on the following day the ashes of the deceased are obtained, a breakfast service is held and the ashes are transferred, some to the temple and others to the residence of the deceased, for deceased Buddhist clergymen their ashes and relics are interred in the nearest temple.
For funerals of government officials and distinguished armed forces and police personnel a three-volley salute is fired, while for senior high-ranking officials a gun salute is fired:
Maha Chai is played by a marching band during the honors for a deceased Prime Minister while for all other officials and all general and police officers including general officers, flag officers and air general officers Maha Roek can be played as a General Salute tune.
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