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Tourists Mistake Thai Funeral for Restaurant as Family Serves Them, Videos Go Viral

The episode highlights Thai funeral hospitality traditions rooted in serving guests.

Overview

  • Two Western visitors sat at tables at a wake in Khanom, Nakhon Si Thammarat, after assuming the tented venue was an eatery.
  • The next day, three Dutch travelers made the same mistake at the same site and were likewise welcomed and fed.
  • Hosts followed custom by offering iced tea or milk, fried dough sticks and curry, after the tourists apologized and asked to stay.
  • The groups had walked over from a nearby night market next to a cafe run by the deceased’s younger brother, which contributed to the confusion.
  • Family member Charantorn Chareomkiad filmed the encounters for Facebook, and the clips spread widely as international media picked up the story this week.