Die and be reborn in a temple in Thailand: It only takes a minute and a half– and a coffin

One of my favorite things to do in Thailand is to have a hand and foot massage. I feel rejuvenated afterward and it only takes 30 minutes. Plus, the massage is cheap and accessible. Hand and feet massage establishments are plentiful.

Here’s another way to rejuvenate in Thailand. At Wat Prommanee in Nakhon Nayok, about 60 miles north of Bangkok, you can climb into a big pink padded coffin for a few moments, and then climb out as a new person.

With high demand in the wanting-to-become-like-new-again department, visitors to the temple, hundreds of them, wait in line for their re-birthing experience. There are nine coffins, so it’s a stream-lined process. Monks, who also chant a dirge, tell people when to get in and get out.

The New York Times article, where I found out about this new opportunity to slough off the old and attract the new, provides these examples of what it is that gets people to climb into a coffin.

  • need for relaxation
  • prosperity
  • get rid of bad luck (the guy who said this had had a car accident and a break in.)
  • to win a soccer game (An entire soccer team showed up)

If traveling with your family, bring them along.

By the way, getting reborn isn’t free. It costs about $5. You can also pick up an amulet to take home.

If you do go, according to the article, don’t stand too close to the coffins while waiting your turn. You don’t want the bad karma being released from the people in the coffins to go right into you.

I’m wondering what happens if a person refuses to get out because a minute and a half just isn’t enough. Could you keep paying more money to stay in longer? Or do you have to get out, go to the end of the line and do it again?