Woman in Thailand 'wakes up' in coffin moments before cremation

In a case of coming back from the dead, a Thai woman stirred back to life just moments before she was to be cremated.

This bizarre incident happened in Phitsanulok province, about 500km from Bangkok.

The 65-year-old woman "died" two days before, but while her coffin was being taken for burial in a pick-up truck, she began to move her arms and head.

The "coming back to life" video was posted on Facebook by Wat Rat Prakhong Tham on Sunday (Nov 23), a temple located on the outskirts of Bangkok, where she was supposed to be cremated. 

She was later transferred to an ambulance and taken to hospital, much to the bewilderment of the temple staff.

Speaking to the Associated Press on Monday (Nov 24), Pairat Soodthoop, the temple’s general and financial affairs manager, said that her brother had driven all the way from Phitsanulok province to cremate her in the temple.

She was bedridden for nearly two years, and the family believed that she had stopped breathing earlier last week. With no sign of movement, they assumed she was dead.

The brother first took her to a hospital in Bangkok, as the woman had expressed her wish to donate her organs after her death.

But the hospital declined to take her in without a death certificate. He then approached the temple for a free cremation, only to be declined again due to the missing paperwork.

While he was explaining how to get a death certificate, the temple manager said they heard a faint knock coming from the coffin.

"I was a bit surprised, so I asked them to open the coffin, and everyone was startled," said Pairat.

"I saw her opening her eyes slightly and knocking on the side of the coffin. She must have been knocking for quite some time."

He added that temple staff immediately called for help, and the woman was taken to a nearby hospital.

Her current condition is not known.

chingshijie@asiaone.com