Funeral Customs of Thai Ethnic Group in Hoa Binh

Exploring Hoa Binh located in the northwest region will give you a great chance to get more knowledge about the characteristic’s Thai ethnic minority and their cultures as well. One of them that you should discover is their funeral customs. To the Thai ethnic group, death does not mean the end but the beginning of another life in “Muong Troi”.

Thai Ethnic Minority’s Funeral Customs

Outfits in the Funeral

As a concept of “living” in another world after the death, Thai ethnic minority still wears colorful outfits in the funerals, contrast to clothes worn every day. White mourning head-bands are wrapped around their head in every funeral. They also put the cloth on wrists to keep the dead’s soul.

The Process of Thai Ethnic Minority’s Funeral

It is so remarkable to see that there is no coffin, clarinet or drum in the funeral like other groups. The deceased’s body is covered by the brocade.  On the way to “Muong Troi”, a group of men carries the deceased. People in his/her family often lay down in shape of a bridge on the road while those men carrying the dead step over them. Thai tribe carries out the cremation by using branches of banyan tree (they can also use wood of the chinaberry instead). According to tradition, Thai people make use of seven layers of wood planks for a man and nine ones for a woman. Before the cremation, family members will go around the deceased to visit.

Thai people pour wine down after the fire to separate the remaining bones. And then, they collect the bones and put them into an urn before placing the bones into the grave.

The “Ma Kho” ceremony

The “ma kho” tradition of Thai tribe is taken place thirteen days after the funeral. The “cau va” including three corn cakes, an egg, a cup of wine, and a bamboo tube inside is a must-have in all “ma kho” ceremony. As a symbol of the dead, this “cau va” is used to call for the soul. People in the family gather around the “cau va” and cry for the death of their family member.