Thais are a surprisingly superstitious race of people, not due to their Buddhist beliefs, but rather the older Hindu traditions that predated the arrival of Buddhism; the belief in animist gods, spirits with the sun and moon and stars, fear of the unseen dead, evil powers in doorways and old haunted trees. This may sound ridiculous to most Westerners, but most Thais firmly believe in the reality of unseen spirits, animist hauntings, and ghosts…which sometime return at the most inappropriate times.

Monks and guests who attended a funeral rite at Wat Lam Nao in Bang Khan district were thrown into a panic yesterday when the woman thought to be dead, and who they were praying for, appeared before them.

The sight of Duangkae Sudchu, the woman who was supposed to be in the coffin, sent many attending the rite sprinting from the scene. It took some convincing by Mrs Duangkae before they realised that she was still alive and the body in the coffin was someone else. Buntham Sudchu, the mother of Mrs Duangkae, said that her 30-year-old daughter had disappeared without trace on March 4.

On March 18, Mrs Buntham said she was informed that the body of a murdered woman had been found in Chalerm Prakiat district and the body had been taken to Wat Kuan Mai Daeng in Thung Song district. Mrs Buntham went to the temple to see if it was her daughter’s body. On seeing the corpse, she said she believed the body was her daughter as there was a scar on the right hand which looked similar to her daughter’s.

Mrs Buntham said she claimed the body and took it back to Wat Lam Nao where funeral rites had continued for two days. Mrs Buntham said that while she was at the temple yesterday afternoon, Mrs Duangkae returned home before coming to the temple. ”Family members at the house were shocked to see her, thinking she was a ghost,” Mrs Buntham said.

Manas Pengsut, the Bang Khan district chief, took Duangkae to the district office to record what happened and to confirm that she was not dead. He said the incident became the talk of the local community. ”If Mrs Duangkae had descended on them at night, people would have been even more frightened,” said Mr Manas. Mrs Duangkae said she had some personal problems and felt unhappy so she went to stay with her friend in Thung Song for a while and left her two children in the care of her mother.

She said she missed her two children and decided to return home to be with them. Pol Lt-Col Niwat Kongduang, of Chalerm Prakiat police station, said he asked the Siam Ruam Jai Thai foundation to move the dead body to Wat Kuan Mai Daeng in Thung Song so relatives could identify and claim the body.

Bangkok Post