The very last journey
The Royal ภาษาไทย Navy has had a unique service for the public since 2006, as it provides a ceremonial scattering of ashes at sea at the request of the next of kin of a deceased person.
It is a beautiful way for mourners to say goodbye to a loved one for the last time and there is now so much interest in it that waiting lists are being used. The Thai Navy currently performs sixty to seventy of these ceremonies per month.
Responsible for an orderly course is Captain Lieutenant Commander (KLTZ) Damrong Meechant, who is attached to the Public Relations Department of the Royal Thai Navy. At 55 years old, he is a veteran and knows the sea around the naval port of Sattahip like no other. He knows the best places, where the currents are ideal for a worthy scattering of ashes, which, according to him, will lead the soul of the deceased to a next, better life.
“My attitude during the ceremony is always sincere. I follow the agreed procedure closely and do so without rushing. I want the bereaved and the deceased to receive the necessary blessings and that the bereaved also feel good about this last farewell," says the naval officer.
Ceremony at sea
The sea journey starts from Laem Thian pier of Sattahip Naval Base. There the kltz Damrong in full naval regalia awaits the family members, who bring the urn with the ashes of their loved one and a photo. After the naval officer acquaints himself with some details of the deceased, the ceremony begins aboard a small naval vessel. There is room for fifteen people on this ship, so that sometimes several families can travel together travel make together. Before they leave, kltz Damrong gives a speech to each family and asks them to light incense sticks in worship of the ship goddess and the god of the sea.
Then a course is set for the middle of Sattahip Bay, where there are numerous small islands. The destination is a deep gully surrounded by Koh Nen, Koh Khao Phra and Koh Yo, the ideal place for the ash scattering. During the cruise, the naval officer chants a few more prayers to guide the soul and recites poems to the family to remind them of the transience of life. “What should remain in the memory of the next of kin is the goodness of the deceased. We cannot escape death, it happens to all of us at some point,” Damrong clarifies.
Busy times
When it arrives at the right place, the ashes are loaded into the water in an environmentally friendly tube. The tube dissolves in the seawater, after which the ash spreads with the currents. On a weekend there are sometimes six or seven of these trips per day, but if time permits, usually on other days, the naval officer makes another short excursion around the naval base. They then sail past the navy dry dock and the statue of HRH Prince Chumpon Khet Udomsak, the "father" of the Royal Thai Navy.
The cost for this ceremony is only 2500 Baht, of which flowers, incense, candles and other necessities are paid. The remainder is put into a fund to give children of junior naval personnel a scholarship.
Damrong Meechant is happy that the senior naval leadership supports this activity. It is nice to accompany a deceased person to his final resting place in this way, and it is also good for the image of the Royal Thai Navy.
Free and concise to a recent article in the Bangkok Post.
I think it's a wonderful gesture by the Royal Navy.
It is a beautiful tribute to the deceased and a ceremony that is also a moment to remember for the relatives.
Nice piece Gringo. Do you know if this is also valid for foreigners.
Ruud
@Ruud, I'm looking into that last one. Please wait.
Dear Gringo,
Thank you for your article dated February 18, 2012, “The Very Last Journey”.
I have read the article a few times with interest, as I already had an experience with it in 2011.
And everything you said is correct.
My Thai wife's mother passed away in 2010 and after a ceremony she was laid out in a stone house on the temple grounds of the Sattahip Temple area.
Built and bricked by my wife's sons and then painted white.
After it was finished, the deceased mother was embalmed, interred here by the monks
awaiting a later cremation.
The house was bricked up and decorated with many flowers on the outside, which she loved in her life.
The reason for this was that I myself was in the Netherlands and was unexpectedly admitted for a heart operation and also had to undergo a number of treatments in the hospital.
My wife was already with me in the Netherlands to accompany and care for me during my hospital period in the Netherlands and was therefore unable to return to Thailand for her mother at that time.
When I had finished treatment in the Netherlands, we could only go to Thailand together to arrange the entire ceremony in Thailand on the spot.
I have experienced many cremations in Thailand in my life, but this one was very special.
Our son is an officer in the Royal Thai Navy, he had arranged and discussed a ship.
On the day in question, we were nicely received by the Thai Navy at the pier in question and we took a seat in the guardhouse until the ship was ready for “The very last voyage”.
Then we were invited to the ashes scattering as Gringo has already described.
Everything went in a very neat manner.
However, the ship was quite noisy and the diesel pounded steadily on, so to speak
Fortunately at the most important moments, the engine was idling.
But despite that, the entire trip and ceremony was an experience and certainly made the bereaved a lasting memory for us.
It turned out that a more luxurious version was also discussed later and that costs THB 4500.
The cheaper version costs THB 2500.
And as Gringo already described, all costs were included!
Exclusive Tip!
voluntarily given to the officer in the presence of the crew, then the tip is also shared among themselves.
Plus donation to that Navy children's fund. ( voluntarily ! )
We had more than 6 people on board to serve us.
Just say the officer who arranges and crews the entire ceremony.
Anyway everything went well, the time passed quickly fortunately we had taken pictures for later.
Today I immediately asked our son for @Ruud whether this is also possible for foreigners (falang), the answer is, yes, this is also possible for foreigners.
With regards
Khun Art
June 23, 2001 I scattered the ashes of my deceased wife, together with my children from a Logger from Scheveningen. It's a nice way to say goodbye to your loved one. The weather was beautiful and the entire Fam was there on board the Logger. The costs then amounted to Fl. 500,00 but you had to take care of the flowers yourself! When my time comes I will follow her in the same way, literally in her wake! I love that the Thai Marine performs this ceremony with all
appropriate respect, and if I read it like this, people also take all the time for this, the Netherlands could take an example. In the harbor of Scheveningen there is an old minesweeper that could very well be used for that, then this ship has another function! The ship will be in private hands, but it is a gap in the market, you can be sure that the "grave" will always remain untouched and you will not have the problem of "cleaning up and docking again after ten years", moreover, your privacy remains and you will no longer encounter your loved one's phalanges in the cemetery when an uninterested grave clearer has done his job as I experienced.
The Dutch Navy also does something similar, but only for former navy personnel.
However, the next of kin are not allowed to join the ship.
You hand the urn over to the Commander of the ship, who then chooses sea.
At sea, a guard of honor enters the half deck and the ashes are scattered by a bugler or the skipper's whistle.
This is reported in the ship's logbook.
The next of kin receive a copy of this report and a copy of the nautical chart, with the location of the scattering marked.
Regards HansG