CHACHOENGSAO, THAILAND – A diesel shortage at Wat Saman Rattanaram disrupted cremations and forced the popular temple to appeal publicly for fuel as service stations in the province rationed supplies or ran dry.
Appeal for help on Facebook
The temple turned to the public in a post on its Facebook page, asking specifically for information about petrol stations still willing to sell diesel.
In the message, the temple said it urgently needed to build up reserves for cremations but was currently unable to find any diesel to buy.
Fuel sold only with a death certificate
Shortly after the appeal, the temple reported that diesel could now only be purchased upon presentation of a death certificate, according to the new conditions at service stations.
At the same time, sales per transaction were capped at 50 liters, which the temple said was not enough for a single cremation.
How much diesel a cremation requires
According to Wat Saman Rattanaram, a typical cremation needed between 70 and 100 liters of diesel to ensure that the body was fully burned.
With the current ceiling of 50 liters, the temple could not reliably carry out cremations, leading quickly to backlogs in the daily operation of the complex.
Village head warns of shutdowns
Krisada Mahaviriyothai, village head of Bang Kaeo and chairman of the temple committee, said the temple’s ability to function had been severely affected by the diesel shortage.
“The temple’s operations have been massively impaired by the lack of diesel.”
said Krisada, noting that no fuel was currently available for upcoming cremations and the facility could effectively be forced to stop at any time.
Young volunteers hunt for fuel
Krisada said younger followers of the temple had spent days driving from pump to pump in search of diesel and trying to secure supplies.
“Because a cremation is sometimes needed at short notice, there must be enough fuel in reserve so there are no delays at a particularly sensitive moment.”
said Krisada.
Families warned they may face delays
If the situation did not ease quickly, the temple would have to speak with the families of the deceased about the circumstances, Krisada said.
He added that any possible delays would need to be explained openly, as timely cremations could not be guaranteed without sufficient diesel.
Questions over special rules for critical supplies
The requirement to show a death certificate at petrol stations highlighted how rapidly a supply gap could cut into everyday life and religious obligations.
The situation raised the question of whether authorities and fuel providers should establish permanent exemptions for critical goods such as diesel for cremations, or whether any special treatment would ultimately be unfair to other users who also depended on the fuel.