A Buddhist temple in Nonthaburi, located just outside Bangkok, recently shared a startling video on its Facebook page that captured the attention of many. The footage showed a woman inside a white coffin, positioned in the back of a pick-up truck, slightly moving her arms and head, much to the astonishment of the temple staff.

Speaking with The Associated Press, Pairat Soodthoop, who manages general and financial affairs at Wat Rat Prakhong Tham, described the unusual event that unfolded. He explained that the woman’s brother transported her from Phitsanulok province for a cremation ceremony.

Pairat recounted how the coffin emitted a faint knocking sound, which prompted immediate concern.

“I was taken aback by the noise, so I requested the coffin be opened,” Pairat said. “Everyone was shocked by what we saw.”

He continued, “We noticed her eyes opening slightly, and she was knocking on the coffin’s side. She must have been trying to get attention for quite some time.”

According to Pairat, the woman’s brother explained her condition, stating she had been bedridden for two years. Her health had recently declined significantly, leading to an unresponsive state that seemed to indicate she had stopped breathing two days prior.

The brother then placed her in a coffin and made the 500-kilometre journey to a hospital in Bangkok, to which the woman had previously expressed a wish to donate her organs.

The hospital refused to accept the brother’s offer as he didn’t have an official death certificate, Pairat said.

His temple offers a free cremation service, which is why the brother approached them on Sunday, but was also refused due to the missing document.

The temple manager said that while he was explaining how to get a death certificate when they heard the knocking. They then assessed her and sent her to a nearby hospital.

The abbot said the temple would cover her medical expenses, according to Pairat.