HomeUnited KingdomDetailed guide: What to do after a British person dies in Thailand

Detailed guide: What to do after a British person dies in Thailand

If you are dealing with the death of a child, multiple deaths, a suspicious death or a case of murder or manslaughter, call +66 (0) 2 305 8333.

Register the death and obtain a death certificate

After someone has died, they are usually taken to a mortuary where they will be formally identified. The standards of mortuary facilities in Thailand vary greatly.

Deaths must be registered in the country where the person died. In Thailand, a local death certificate will be issued by the authorities. It will be written in Thai and available within 2 days of the death.
Ask for extra copies of the death certificate where possible. You might need to officially inform other organisations of the death.

You do not need to register the death in the UK. The local death certificate can usually be used in the UK for most purposes, including probate. You will need to get the death certificate translated into English. Translation services are widely available in major cities in Thailand, but less so in rural areas.

If you wish, you can register the death with the Overseas Registration Unit. You can buy a UK-style death certificate, known as a Consular Death Registration certificate. A record will be sent to the General Register Office within 12 months.

You need to tell the local authorities if the person who died suffered from an infectious condition, such as hepatitis or HIV, so they can take precautions against infection.

Deal with a local post-mortem

Post-mortems are normally performed when the cause of death is unknown, unnatural, sudden or violent. Post-mortems are carried out by forensic doctors appointed by the court. Cultural or religious sensitivities may not be taken into account. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office cannot stop or interfere with the process.

During a post-mortem, small tissue samples and organs may be removed and retained for testing without the consent of the next of kin. You will not automatically be told if this happens.

If you want a copy of the post-mortem report, you must apply through the coroner in the UK (in the case of a repatriation) or through the local court dealing with the death.

In Thailand a post-mortem report is usually available three months after a death has occurred. You will need to get it translated into English.

Get a Consular Letter

Thai local authorities need a Consular Letter from the embassy before they release the body for burial, cremation or repatriation. The next of kin must provide proof they are related to the person that died and inform the embassy in writing who they have requested to make the arrangements. If someone other than the next of kin is making the arrangements, they need to provide a copy of their passport and Thai ID before the Consular Letter can be issued.

Bury or cremate the body locally

To have a local burial or cremation, a relative or a formally appointed representative needs to appoint a local funeral director. You can find a list of local funeral directors here.

Local burials are rare in Thailand for religious reasons. As a result, they are very expensive and difficult to organise. The next of kin is advised to consider repatriation if they want the person who died to be buried.

Cremation can take place once the Thai authorities are content that the cause of death has been established or no further examinations on the body need to take place.

If arrangements have not been made within a specific timeframe, usually 30 days, the person who died will be cremated and buried in a ‘paupers’ mass funeral. Consular staff may be able to request information of the burial site.

If a local burial or cremation takes place, there will not be a coroner’s inquest carried out in the UK.

If the person who died had insurance, contact their insurance company as soon as possible. Insurance providers may help to cover the cost of repatriation. Repatriation is the process of bringing the body home. Insurance providers may also help with any medical, legal, interpretation and translation fees.

If the person who died had insurance, the insurance company will appoint a funeral director both locally and in the UK.

What to do if the person who died didn’t have insurance

If you are not sure whether the person who died had insurance, check with their bank, credit card company or employer.

If the person who died did not have insurance, a relative or a formally appointed representative will usually have to appoint a funeral director and be responsible for all costs. You can find a list of UK-based international funeral directors here.

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office cannot help with any costs. In some cases, funeral directors and lawyers may provide services on a pro bono basis. Pro bono work is done for free or for a much reduced cost depending on your circumstances. This is decided on a case by case basis.

Charities and organisations that offer support

Some UK-based charities and organisations may be able to offer assistance, support and information to people affected by a death abroad. Find a list of UK-based charities and organisations here.

Bring the body home

If the person who died had insurance, find out if their insurance provider can help cover the cost of repatriation. Repatriation is the process of bringing the body home. If so, they will make all the necessary arrangements.
If the person who died is not covered by insurance, you will need to appoint an international funeral director yourself.

Find an international funeral director

A relative or a formally appointed representative must appoint a UK-based international funeral director for the person who died to be repatriated to the UK. You can find a list of UK-based international funeral directors here.

Local funeral directors will work with UK-based international funeral directors to make sure all the necessary requirements are met both locally and in the UK. This includes providing documents such as a local civil registry death certificate, a certificate of embalming and a certificate giving permission to transfer the remains to the UK.

Advice and financial assistance for repatriation

Find a list of organisations and charities that may be able to offer assistance with repatriation here.

If you want to have a post-mortem in the UK once the body has been repatriated, you can request one from a UK coroner. The coroner will then decide if a post-mortem is needed. If you want the person who died to be cremated, you need to apply for a certificate from the coroner (form ‘Cremation 6’).

Bring the ashes home

If you choose local cremation and wish to take the ashes back to the UK yourself, you can usually do so.

Check with the airline about specific restrictions or requirements, for example whether you can carry the ashes as hand luggage. When leaving Thailand with human ashes you will need to:

  • show the death certificate

  • show the certificate of cremation

  • fill in a standard customs form when you arrive home

  • follow local rules about departing with human ashes

You should not have the person cremated abroad if you want a UK coroner to conduct an inquest into their death.
If it is not possible for you to transport the ashes yourself, a funeral director will be able to make the necessary arrangements. You can find a list of UK-based international funeral directors here.

Retrieve belongings

Personal belongings found on the person who died at the time of death are handed to the police if the family is not present.

If you choose to repatriate, instruct the local funeral director to collect all personal belongings from the police or court and ship them together with the person who died.

If there is an investigation into the death, clothing may be retained as evidence and will not be returned until the court case is finished.

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office cannot help with the cost of returning personal belongings to the family.

Find a translator

You may need a translator to help understand information from local authorities or get certain documents translated. You can find a list of official translators here.

Find a lawyer

You can apply to appoint a lawyer in certain circumstances, such as a suspicious death. You can find a list of English speaking lawyers here.

Cancel a passport

To avoid identity fraud, the passport of the person who died should be cancelled with Her Majesty’s Passport Office (HMPO). To do this, you need to complete a D1 form.

If you plan to repatriate the person who died to the UK, you may require their passport to do this. In these circumstances, you should cancel the passport after they have been repatriated.

Check you have done everything you need to do in the UK

Check this step-by-step guide for when someone dies to make sure you have done everything you need to do in the UK after someone has died. You can find information on how to tell the government about the death, UK pensions and benefits and dealing with the estate of the person who died.

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