Monk's 'death wish puts followers at risk'

He was referring to reports about Luang Pu Phim, the abbot of Wat Weluwan in Chaiyaphum province, telling his followers that he would be going to sleep in his coffin at 9pm last night and that he should be cremated this Thursday at 1pm. The 65-year-old abbot reportedly said this privately on a previous occasion to some of his followers, who then spread the word via social media.
Somsak said anybody “sleeping” in an airtight container like a coffin could die from suffocation in minutes, though a human can survive a few days without water, or weeks without food. “Consciousness can be recovered after nine minutes without oxygen, though one is beyond help if it is longer than 10 minutes,” he said.
“Whether the monk’s act can be considered suicide, I cannot say. But if people who could have stopped him failed to do so, then they can be prosecuted under Article 374 of the Criminal Code, which carries a month in prison and/or a maximum fine of Bt1,000.”
Dr Witthaya Chartbanchachai, who has treated Luang Pu Phim, said the monk had been suffering from a chronic stomach ulcer, gout and gastro-oesophageal reflux disease – all of which are curable. He added that the monk was healthy for his age. “It would be tough for him to die from any of these diseases,” he said.
Meanwhile, a deputy director at a Khon Kaen hospital said it was medically and scientifically impossible for someone to predict one’s own death.