Thread: Back from the dead

The lady’s not for burning

Curious case of woman who died and was cremated, then returned home alive and well

Boonlua Chatree

A woman who allegedly died six months ago and was cremated has returned to her home, causing panic amongst her neighbors who thought she must be a ghost.

The story began on the morning of February 14 this year, St Valentine’s Day, when Banglamung Police Station received a report that a woman was lying dead in Nongprue Temple.


Officers arriving at the scene found the blood-covered body of a woman identified as Mrs Warunee Bun-Eurb, aged 35. She was wearing a red t-shirt and red trousers, and clutching a 12-inch knife. There were 11 wounds to her stomach and her throat had been slashed, exposing the Adam’s apple.

The police transferred the corpse to Banglamung Hospital so the physician could confirm the cause of death and issue a certificate. Subsequently the body was collected by a relative and cremated.

On August 29, Banglamung Police Station received another report concerning the dead woman. She had returned home. Her husband, Bunrod Bunchoo, 48, wouldn’t allow her to step into the house because he thought she was a ghost. The frightened villagers couldn’t understand either. If she was dead and had been cremated six months ago, how did she come back?

Officers arriving at the house found Warunee Bun-Eurb in tears, clutching her own death certificate. She said she had been away working at a construction site for about a year, and hadn’t been in contact with her home. Now she had come back to see her child.

The investigation switched to the identification process of the dead body.

Bunrod told police that the day after Warunee was apparently found dead, a relative, Miss Wanphen Pawandee, had confirmed the woman’s identity with Banglamung Police Station and received a death certificate from Banglamung District Office before taking the corpse to Thuanthong Temple. There it was duly cremated at a total cost of 50,000 baht.

The police checked with the station officer and the officials who had issued the original documentation, and the death registration has now been canceled. A new ID card has been issued for Warunee.

Now, however, police have a new case on their hands. They are trying to find out who the dead woman was through use of the fingerprints and photographs they took at the time. The cause of the death is considered to be suicide.


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