VIDEO: COFFIN NIGHTMARE — Woman Knocks From Inside

Wooden casket with red roses on top

A 65-year-old Thai woman narrowly escaped premature cremation when temple staff heard her knocking from inside her coffin, exposing dangerous gaps in medical protocols that could have cost her life.

Story Highlights

  • A woman was found alive in a coffin at a Buddhist temple after her brother assumed she had died.
  • The missing death certificate requirement inadvertently saved her from cremation and organ donation.
  • Similar cases across multiple countries reveal systemic failures in death verification.
  • Temple staff’s quick response and medical coverage demonstrate community compassion.

Miraculous Discovery Prevents Tragic Mistake

Wat Rat Prakhong Tham temple staff made a startling discovery when they heard faint knocking from inside a coffin delivered for cremation services. Pairat Soodthoop, the temple’s general and financial affairs manager, immediately ordered the coffin opened, revealing the 65-year-old woman moving her arms and opening her eyes slightly. The woman had been bedridden for two years and appeared to stop breathing two days earlier, prompting her brother to assume she had died and place her in a coffin.

Bureaucratic Requirements Save Life

The woman’s survival hinged on missing paperwork that initially frustrated her brother’s plans. He had driven 300 miles from Phitsanulok province to Bangkok, intending to honor her wish to donate organs before seeking cremation services. Both the hospital and temple refused to proceed without an official death certificate, a requirement that proved lifesaving. This bureaucratic obstacle forced the delay that allowed temple staff to discover she was still alive when they heard her persistent knocking.

Pattern of Medical Protocol Failures

This incident joins a disturbing pattern of premature death declarations across multiple countries, highlighting serious gaps in medical verification procedures. Recent cases include a Nebraska woman found breathing at a funeral home in June 2024, and two separate incidents in 2023 where elderly women were awakened at funeral facilities after being pronounced dead. These cases raise critical questions about the adequacy of current death verification protocols and the potential for tragic mistakes when proper procedures aren’t followed.

Community Response and Recovery

Temple officials immediately arranged medical treatment for the woman and committed to covering her medical expenses, demonstrating the compassionate response that saved her life. The temple posted video documentation of the incident on social media, showing the woman’s movements in the coffin. This case underscores the importance of thorough medical examination and proper documentation before final arrangements, while also highlighting how community vigilance and bureaucratic safeguards can prevent irreversible tragedies when medical systems fail.

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