Funeral

The other day Nuch and I had to attend the funeral of her 20 year old cousin. He and is Girlfriend were on his motorbike when they were hit broadside by a drunk driver. Drunk Driving is a huge problem in Thailand, more people die through drunk driving than people do in all motor accidents in the UK. Unfortunately, very little will be done to the driver as he was a copper anyway, so above the law. At best some Blood Money will be exchanged.
We arrived at the famalies Temple (Wat Lak Si), this is the Temple close to the Airport, your bound to see it if you land at Don Mueng Airport. (Wat Lak Si)
The coffin laid in state as it had done for three days and three nights, as is Buddhist tradition, at least a couple of hundred people turned up. When the service began, the elders of the family went up to the coffin with a gift of robes for the monks and in return received a blessing for the dead, then Nuch's Grandma being the eldest put a flame under the coffin. All the assembled congregation filed up the steps and placed a paper flower in the flame, wished the poor guy all the best and exited down some other steps, at the bottom we were given a momento, a keyring with King Rama V on it. I met the Father and Mother, who seemed genually pleased I had come to the funeral.
The body was then taken a few metres to be cremated, and the family went up the steps to see this happening, it was then that the Mother broke down, funerals it seems are the same all over the world. Like all funerals i've been to, i'd rather not be there, i'd rather the person were still alive.
It was a very dignified service, I only hope some justice is served in this case.