The shortage of diesel took an unusual turn when an undertaker whose request to fill three containers with fuel was refused later returned to the pump with a coffin and its dead occupant, to prove he was not stockpiling diesel.
The incident was shown in a Facebook Live video shared by Preecha, a 48-year-old undertaker at a temple in Ban Bueng district. His post quickly drew attention online, highlighting the real-life impact of tightening fuel supplies on even the most unexpected profession.
Mr Preecha said he initially went to a local petrol station and asked staff to fill continers with fuel for use in the crematorium. They refused his request, insisting on enforcing rationing imposed during the current fuel crisis, despite his repeated explanation.
‘I told them it was for a cremation, but they wouldn’t allow it,’ he said.
Determined to prove his case, Mr Preecha returned the following morning – this time with the body of the deceased in a coffin in the back of a pickup truck, along with three empty 18-litre jerrycans.
He parked at the pump and opened the coffin as evidence, explaining to staff that the fuel was urgently needed for a cremation. He was not hoarding.
During the live broadcast, a pump attendant was seen walking off to talk with the station manager for a few minutes, before returning to say the fuel containers would be filled, as requested.
Mr Preecha said he had been a temple undertaker since 2005, when the crematorium still relied on charcoal. It was later upgraded to a diesel-powered electric crematorium, and he had routinely bought fuel in containers from the same petrol station for years without issue.
‘This is the first time I’ve had to do something like this,’ he said. ‘I understand they are trying to prevent stockpiling, but we genuinely need the fuel to carry out cremations.’