Ready when the TIME COMES

ANYONE WHO’S EVER grieved over the loss of a loved one and at the same time had to arrange the funeral must have wondered why Thailand doesn’t have a service offering professional help, much like the countless organisers of weddings and other events.
There is, in fact, Funeral Service, which became Thailand’s first such organiser when it opened two years ago. Thanisa “Nan” Tiranasawadi knows from personal experience how needed her business is.
“Planning a funeral in advance seems unpleasant, so we usually avoid it until someone close passes away, and then it hits you hard. Questions arise, like, ‘What do I do first, how much am I supposed to pay?’ and even, ‘If I do this for my mum, will she go to Heaven?’
“It happens to most people who have to organise a funeral, and it happened to me as well. My father passed away suddenly a few years ago and it was during the Songkran holidays, when almost everything was closed.
“There was no time to plan, let alone to mourn,” Nan says. “I had to do everything myself. I had to learn all about the regulations concerning body disposal, find a temple, set up the funeral and invite the guests. And that was just the beginning!
“So I thought, ‘Why isn’t there a company that organises funerals? That would really help a lot of people.’”
Nan’s Funeral Service was originally a partnership with Suriya Coffin and grew with the help of its established clientele. “I didn’t advertise because I didn’t know what the public would think of my business,” she says. “Thais are very sensitive about death, and talking about death in the presence of the living is considered uncouth. Talking about funerals to terminally ill people or even their family is also very rude, because it’s seen as wishing them dead rather than helping them prepare their departure.
“Fortunately that perception has slowly changed, and more people see this as an inevitable preparation to save their family trouble when they’re gone.”
With rates starting at Bt200,000 for a three-night Buddhist funeral, Nan takes care of everything from the moment of death until the ashes are transferred to the urn. She provides the casket and flowers, books the temple and crematorium, hires an emcee to lead in the spiritual rites, and a photographer if desired, sends out the invitation cards and distributes the souvenirs. Clients can choose the temple or, if they prefer, have the funeral at home.
In terms of catering, Funeral Service arranges for a food truck on site. Waiters serve freshly cooked Japanese dishes.
Nan stresses that there are no hidden fees or expenses and, should the number of guests be less than expected, a portion of the fee is refunded.
Funeral Service handles all the information about the arrangements, notifying those invited by SMS about the place and time and offering further assistance if needed.
Traditional Christian and Chinese funerals, as well as theme funerals, are offered, but “so far we’ve only done Buddhist ceremonies”, Nan says.
“It’s surprised us how many clients request very unconventional funerals. We’ve done a birthday-theme funeral and another that was more like a party, with live music. Another one had a full biographical exhibition about the life of the deceased for the guests to enjoy. We can easily arrange that if we have the time and material.”
Still limited in staff, the service is only offered in metropolitan Bangkok. The firm can handle just two funerals at a time.
“We aim to give the deceased and the family the best farewell,” Nan says. “We take care of the next-of-kin emotionally, too, by overseeing all the small details for them, allowing them to be with their families and mourn in peace.
“Normally when a family organises their own funeral, they’re often too busy with the arrangements and don’t have time to receive and take care of the guests, who might be important business partners, respected relatives from upcountry or abroad, or maybe even long-lost friends.
“There’s a lot to talk about, both to friends and acquaintances and among family members, so we want to give them those few days of solitude together.
“We don’t overcharge and we explain in detail how the budget is spent, so there’s transparency here. You can rest assured that you’ll get the funeral you want, without paying more than you should.”
As exacting as Nan is in her accounting and her insistence on providing value for money, she never loses track of the deep resonance of the occasion.
“The dead speak to us at their funerals,” she remarks. “We go to funerals to mourn, to say goodbye, and also to ponder the meaning and the transience of life.
“When the monks pray, they pray for the living and teach us about life, but most people don’t understand the Pali they speak in the rites. That’s why we set up several big TV screens at the temple, to show the Pali sermon with a Thai translation.
“I hope that, with the service we provide, funerals become more pleasant to attend – not grim, depressing events that you have to attend because it would be rude not to. I want to see people using the occasion to connect with those around them and with their own mortality.”

WISE TO PLAN AHEAD
Find out more about the service at (02) 553 2564 and www.FuneralService.co.th. The 24-hour hotline for enquiries and bookings is (085) 678 4171.