Thais seek to restore fortunes with mock funerals
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Mock funerals
In a temple on the outskirts of Bangkok, participants at a daily ritual clutch a bunch of flowers and lie down in a coffin with a sheet pulled over them as monks chant.
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A fresh start
The Wat Bangna Nai temple in the Thai capital draws more than 100 people a day who choose to perform the ceremony in the hope it can improve their fortunes or give them a fresh start. And for some at least, the pressures of life during the pandemic have made the ritual take on more importance.
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Ceremony
Participants pay 100 baht ($3.30) for the flowers, candles, and clothing that are part of the ceremony.
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The process
Participants follow the instructions of the monks, by at first lying in a coffin with their heads facing to the west, the direction bodies may be buried, before switching sides to symbolise rebirth.
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Rituals
Many temples in Thailand hold similar ceremonies and Prakru Prapath Waranukij, a monk who performed this ceremony, said that while the ritual had received some criticism online he felt it was important to ponder death.