A 65‑year‑old Thai woman presumed dead after years of illness shocked mourners when she began moving inside her coffin just minutes before her scheduled cremation at a Bangkok temple.

The woman, whose identity has not been released, had reportedly stopped breathing the previous week, leading her brother to arrange funeral rites.

Believing she had passed, he transported her body nearly 500 kilometres from their home province to Wat Rat Prakhong Tham temple, which provides free cremations, after a hospital declined to accept organ donations without an official death certificate.

As temple staff discussed paperwork with the family, faint noises were heard from the sealed coffin. When opened, the woman was found alive but extremely weak. She was rushed to hospital, where doctors diagnosed severe hypoglycaemia — critically low blood sugar — as the cause of her coma‑like state.

Medical staff said timely intervention saved her life, and she is now recovering in stable condition.

The temple’s abbot pledged to cover her medical expenses, describing the incident as “a miracle of compassion and merit.” Doctors reminded the public that apparent death can sometimes result from extreme medical conditions, underscoring the importance of professional verification before funeral proceedings.