Not a nice subject, but it happens to you at least once in your life… Or more correctly: after your life. What should you do if you die in Thailand?

• The death of a foreigner must within 24 hours be reported to the Thai police.
• The Thai police inform the embassy of the deceased and the immediate family of the death.
• The police may conduct an autopsy to determine the cause of death. This always happens if the deceased has not yet reached the age of 65. Of course, also if the cause of death is suspicious or as a result of an accident.
• The body becomes always taken to a hospital with an anatomist pathologist. Later it will be released for burial or cremation. If death occurred due to natural causes, within 2 to 3 days.
• The authorities therefore issue two death certificates: one from the examining doctor, and one from the government (municipality).
• All costs of medical treatment (if the death occurred in a hospital) must be paid before the body is delivered to the relatives.

• In Thailand, cremation is the most common. Burial is possible, but is considerable more expensive. Moreover, the procedure to do so is complicated and lengthy.
• Most funeral homes have an English-speaking staff member who can guide you or (if desired) assist with the repatriation of the deceased. The latter is very expensive, and the procedure for it is complex. For repatriation you will almost certainly need the help of a legal expert or funeral director who specializes in this.

If cremation is chosen, the body will be taken to the temple of your choice. There is no time limit to do that. The body can be kept refrigerated for a longer period of time. (Of course there are costs involved.)

You can choose any religious – or no – ceremony you want. The fact that the cremation always takes place in a Buddhist temple has a simple reason: that is where the crematoria are located. Thailand has no private crematoria.

The ashes of the deceased can:

• To be interred in an urn in the temple.
• Distributed somewhere in Thailand or at sea.
• Be sent to the country of origin. In that case, you will need the help of the embassy and a funeral director, if the relatives are not in Thailand.