Student stages fake funeral for his mother to scam financial support
An 18-year-old student in Thailand’s Udon Thani province staged a funeral for his supposedly deceased mother — only for villagers to discover that the coffin was filled with banana stalks instead of a body.
After collecting financial donations from attendees, the student fled to become a monk.
On Saturday (22 March), Srisawat Photiwat, the village head, shared that a teacher from the local school had contacted him about a Grade 12 student who claimed that his mother had passed away in Bangkok and that a funeral was being held at the family’s home.
The teacher, puzzled, explained that no one in the village had been informed about the alleged death, which was highly unusual.
The teacher also revealed that school staff and students had donated money to support the funeral, and they had seen the coffin placed at the house.
Source: Khaosod
Upon hearing this, Mr Srisawat and several villagers decided to investigate.
When they arrived at the home, they found the student, his grandfather, and grandmother dressed in mourning clothes, standing in front of the coffin.
Banana stalks found placed inside coffin instead of body
When questioned about the supposed death, the student denied that anyone had died.
He claimed that the funeral was part of a school assignment from his teacher. However, when Mr Srisawat contacted the teacher, they denied ever assigning such a task.
Mr Srisawat then confronted the student again, asking if there was a coffin. The student admitted that a coffin had been placed upstairs.
Upon heading upstairs to investigate, Mr Srisawat was stunned to find a white coffin surrounded by ceremonial cloth, incense, and candles, all set up to mimic a traditional funeral.
Source: Naewna
But when the coffin was opened, the villagers were shocked to discover that it was filled with chopped banana stalks wrapped in cloth instead of a body.
When Mr Srisawat asked the student why he had staged such an elaborate hoax, the student explained that the funeral was meant to ward off misfortune for his mother.
He also admitted that he hoped to raise money for his education after graduating from high school.
Student escapes village to become monk
On Sunday (23 March), the student’s family decided to burn the coffin, and the teenager fled the scene, choosing to become a monk.
Source: Naewna
Several villagers expressed their disapproval, asking:
How can you hold a funeral for someone who hasn’t died?
Some even believed the boy was interested in occult practices and was acting as a medium.
His grandmother later revealed that, while the funeral appeared real, it had been staged as part of a ritual.
She explained that she and her grandson had visited a monk for a blessing, and the monk had advised them to hold a funeral for the grandson’s mother, claiming she was suffering from bad luck.
However, no one had actually died.
She apologised to the villagers for the disturbance, clarifying that the ceremony was meant only to help her grandson’s mother.
Also read: Girl in Thailand fakes ‘ransom’ video asking S$75K from mum, alleges she was forced by scammers
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Featured image adapted from Khaosod.
