A 65-year-old woman believed to be dead came back to life just as she was about to be cremated at a Buddhist temple, a dramatic reversal that has shocked family members, funeral staff and communities alike. 

According to EeuroNews, the woman, identified in Thai media as Chonthirat Sakulkoo, had reportedly been bedridden for around two years. According to her brother, she became unresponsive and appeared to stop breathing two days before the incident. 

Believing she had passed away, her brother first transported her more than 500 kilometres from their home province of Phitsanulok to Bangkok, intending to donate her organs, fulfilling her earlier wish. When the hospital refused to proceed without a formal death certificate, the family turned to Wat Rat Prakhong Tham, a temple near Bangkok that offers free cremation services, reported AP News. 

It was at the temple as staff were discussing the required documentation that the bizarre and life-saving moment occurred. According to the temple manager, Pairat Soodthoop, a faint knocking was heard coming from inside the coffin. When they opened it, they were stunned to see Sakulkoo opening her eyes and moving. “Everyone was startled,” he said. 

Sky News reported that the woman was immediately rushed to hospital, where she was diagnosed with critically low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia). Doctors said she had not suffered cardiac or respiratory failure, suggesting she might have been incorrectly declared dead. 

The temple has said it will cover her medical expenses. The story shocking, almost surreal has prompted wide-ranging debate in Thailand and beyond about how death is verified, and whether current checks are sufficient before carrying out final funeral rites. 

For now, what was meant to be a final farewell turned into a second chance at life, a reminder that sometimes, in the face of human error, miracles do happen.