Pattaya’s Thamsamakee Temple is offering free cremations for Covid-19 victims and free food for survivors.
Sukreep Krajai, president of the Credit Union of Pattaya, and Premrudee Sae-Kow, president of the Pattaya Isan Association, presented 10,600 baht to fund the project to Abbot Phra Khru Pisanjariyaakorn Aug. 10.
The free funeral includes a coffin, a night of prayers by monks, sandalwood flowers and wreaths.
Until recently, the temple charged 15,000 baht for funerals. But after a scandal involving Banglamung Hospital workers who began arranging and collecting fees for funerals at the temple, along with overpriced transportation, Abbot Phra Khru Pisanjariyaakorn collaborated with the Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Foundation, Pattaya Ruamjai team and Pattaya Future team to supply a budget for crematorium fuel, operational expenses, coffins, body bags and personal protective equipment.
With cases continuing to pile up by the thousand – Chonburi reported 11 deaths and 1,368 new cases on Wednesday of which 187 were in Pattaya – the temple needed to do more to help people, Abbot Pisanjariyaakorn said.
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