A 65-year-old woman in Thailand started moving inside her coffin moments before temple staff prepared for her cremation, prompting shock and urgent calls for answers. Staff at Wat Rat Prakhong Tham, a Buddhist temple in Nonthaburi on the outskirts of Bangkok, said they heard faint knocking from the coffin before noticing movement, according to a report by the Guardian and a video the temple posted on Facebook. The clip shows the woman lying in a white coffin placed on the back of a pickup truck. She appears to move her arms and head slightly as staff look on in disbelief. The incident raises fresh questions about how death gets confirmed outside hospitals and what checks cremation sites should make before ceremonies proceed.
The incident took place at Wat Rat Prakhong Tham in Nonthaburi, near Bangkok. The temple posted the video on its Facebook page on Tuesday, 25 November 2025, according to the Guardian.
Video from temple grounds shows movement inside the coffin
Footage shared by Wat Rat Prakhong Tham shows a white coffin resting in a pickup truck at the temple. The woman appears to move her arms and tilt her head. Temple staff gather close to the vehicle and speak with urgency. The Guardian reported that staff heard “faint knocking,” then saw the woman “slightly moving her arms and head” after she arrived for cremation.
The video does not show the moments before the arrival, and it does not explain who declared the woman dead. It captures, however, a clear pause in the cremation plan. The sight of movement inside a coffin forces any ceremony to stop. The clip shows a startling scene inside a place where families expect quiet rituals, not emergency checks for signs of life.
What we know and what remains unclear
The available accounts focus on the video and the immediate reaction at the temple. They do not explain the woman’s medical history, the circumstances of her reported death, or whether a doctor had issued a death certificate. They also do not detail what happened after staff noticed the movement. Without medical records or an official statement, key facts about the chain of events remain unknown.
This lack of detail leaves important questions open. Who confirmed death and under what conditions? Did anyone use equipment to check heart or brain activity? Was the woman under the influence of medication or a condition that can suppress vital signs? Until authorities or the family release more information, it remains impossible to draw firm conclusions about how this case unfolded.
Thai temple funerals: routine practice, rigid paperwork
Buddhist temples in Thailand often host funerals and cremations. Families bring the coffin to a temple, where monks lead prayers before cremation in a dedicated hall. In many parts of the country, families use pickup trucks or hearses to transport the coffin, a common sight on local roads. The temple grounds in Nonthaburi reflect that familiar setting.
Temples typically require official papers before a cremation can proceed. In practice, that means a death certificate issued by