Young monks by the refrigerated casket of Pui
Pui's young friends and "The Mom" By Pui's casket (colorful box)

Wake and Cremation of Pui, Buri-Ram, Thailand about One Hour From Country of Laos.
On the 5th and 6th of January we went to the ceremonies for Pui our young friend who died. We went to her parent's home in Buri-Ram. I rented a vehicle to take us and we stayed at the beautiful home of friends of Jin's just down the street from Pui's parent's home. At the parent's home, the body was in a colorful and elaborately decorated refrigerated box which was on a platform in front of the house against a wall of the house. It was surrounded by huge arrangements of flowers sent from England, Europe and Thailand. Three huge portraits were displayed: one of the beautiful Pui and two of Pui and Ian on their wedding six months ago. The street in front of the home was blocked off and two huge awnings covered the street in front of the home. A loud speaker played music and chants by priests. Food and drink was served nearly all day and night. Huge kettles of Thai food was cooked outside. Tables were set up on mats in front of the house but were taken down when monks came for various scheduled ceremonies. At one time 17 monks were chanting in front of the mourners. On the second day we were there, the monks talked and chanted from early morning until about two pm and then the refrigerated box with the body was loaded onto a truck and a woven palm rope tied to the truck with a huge ball of string tied onto that. The mourners all ceremoniously pulled the truck holding onto the string. Our friend Ian, husband of the deceased carried her portrait and the string draped over his shoulder. We held to the string walking the long distance to the Budhist temple. There were more ceremonies, more chants, more talks. Each person in the large group of mourners who asked to be put on a list and who gave an envelope of money went up the steps to where the box with the body inside was displayed along with the beautiful flower displays. We each caried a robe for the monks and the envelope of money up the stairs, lit insense, and knocked on the box with the body. We went back down. Three times during the afternoon we went back up the stairs and said goodby, the last time the beautiful box was gone and a plain white box with the top open to view the body was there just outside the open crematorium door. I was holding the widower who had his back to the crematorium door, crying, unable to look upon the body of his beloved. We were at ground level and I was facing the crematorium up above. All the cloth things in the casket were being thrown out of the box which was then pushed into the crematorium. A man started putting wires together and then stepped back. Sparks flew and wooden pieces we had each carried up in one ceremony had been put in the box. These caught fire and the flames were quite visable. The door was not closed. Coins wrapped in gold paper were thrown to the crowd. Candies were thrown to the crowd. We next went to the home for more food, drink, and chanting and ceremonies...more insense, people walking around a carved pole three times, and other ceremonies. This will go on for sometime, but we eventually have to leave. The ashes will remain at the parent's home for 100 days and then go to a small Budha house at the temple with maybe a few ashes remaining with the parents. The ashes will be brought out each April and flower water sprinkled on them and they will be honored in ceremonies.