Funeral for woman, 80, delayed due to lack of funds
The funeral of a woman, 80, who died of a stroke while walking under the scorching sun to collect her elderly monthly allowance in Chumphon province, has been delayed due to lack of money.
The body of Kreeda Nuimeesup has been kept at the Paksong monastic centre in Moo 4 village in Tambon Paksong in Patoh district, as there are no relatives to hold a proper funeral for her, said village headman Thammarong Khongkaew.
Thammarong said on Thursday that the old woman died at the Patoh hospital on Wednesday evening after she collapsed in front of the Patoh branch of the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives in the afternoon when the weather was very hot.
Bank staff rushed her to the hospital but she did not regain consciousness and died a few hours later.
Thammarong said he and workers of a local rescue foundation went to the hospital on Thursday to help move the body to the monastic centre for a funeral but no relatives came forward to take care of the service for her.
The village head learned from Kreeda’s neighbour, Preeda Chuayyim, 75, that the woman had been living alone for decades inside a hut built on Preeda’s land.
Preeda shared with her some food and helped her take care of some chores. Kreeda had been living on the government elderly allowance of Bt600 a month.
The village head said the monastic centre donated an air-conditioned coffin to help preserve her body until the cremation while villagers and some local leaders donated money for the funeral services.
“I would like to ask government agencies to step in to help so that she can receive a cremation service. At least, this poor woman can be helped to go to heaven,” the village headman said.