Temple Refuses Cremation, Woman Takes Miscarried Baby to Police
The article describes a woman who miscarried at around 4-5 months, took the fetal body to a temple for cremation, but was refused because an autopsy is legally required first. She then went to the police station to file a report. The fetus
A heartbroken mother carried her miscarried baby to a police station after a temple refused to perform cremation rites. At 5:00 PM on October 28, 2026, Ms. Nutthida (surname withheld), 24, from Ubon Ratchathani Province, brought the body of a female fetus that had died at seven months gestational age in a paper bag to Bang Yai Police Station in Nonthaburi Province to file a report with investigators.
She stated she lives in the Lat Phrao area of Bangkok. While attending to personal business in the bathroom, she suddenly miscarried. She took the baby to Wat Rat Prakong Tham in Bang Yai District, Nonthaburi, intending to conduct religious funeral rites. However, the temple could not perform the cremation ceremony because a doctor must first conduct an autopsy according to legal procedures.
Ms. Nutthida said the miscarriage occurred without known cause and she was unsure of the exact gestational age, estimating it at four to five months. Before the miscarriage, she experienced abdominal tightness and what felt like constipation pain, so she went to the bathroom but could not defecate. She noticed blood-tinged discharge, then the baby slid out as if her water had broken, with amniotic fluid and blood flowing out. Previously, she had experienced what seemed like amniotic fluid leakage two or three times but not significantly.
She added that when the baby emerged, it made no sound and its body was warm. She thought the baby might still be alive but did not go to a doctor, unsure what to do first. She went to a foundation hoping for free cremation services, but staff told her to take the baby to a mortuary or hospital first for cervical dilation procedures. She then came to the mortuary to file a report. The baby had likely already died. She now feels exhausted and slightly fatigued. This is the second time she has miscarried like this.
She is deeply saddened because this time she had intended to have the baby. After normally using a three-year contraceptive implant, she discussed it with her boyfriend and had the implant removed a year early to conceive. However, once pregnant, she faced problems from personal financial stress. She had not yet attended prenatal appointments because she had to travel back and forth between her home in Ubon Ratchathani and Pathum Thani. The miscarried baby was female. She plans to take the baby's body for temple rites and is currently waiting for a doctor from the Institute of Forensic Medicine to examine the cause of death.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Siraphop Anusiri, Deputy Superintendent of Bang Yai Police Station, stated that in the case of a woman bringing a baby's body in a bag to the station, questioning revealed the mother has an underlying medical condition and had previously miscarried once before. This baby was the second. There were no signs of physical assault, accident, or fall causing injury leading to miscarriage. The gestational age was approximately four to five months with fully formed organs, identifiable as female.
The mother then contacted Wat Rat Prakong Tham in Bang Yai District to cremate the baby because the temple runs a "Last House" project offering free funeral rites. She therefore contacted the police station. Upon investigation, it was found that an autopsy is legally required because the baby was born as a complete person. The death must be autopsied according to law, so police coordinated with doctors from the Institute of Forensic Medicine.
Initially, police bought food and water for the mother to eat and regain strength because she showed signs of faintness. If other symptoms arise, they will coordinate with Bang Yai Hospital to take her for examination. The preliminary autopsy found the deceased infant had a gestational age of approximately seven months with no abnormalities whatsoever. However, the body must be sent for a full autopsy at the Institute of Forensic Medicine to determine the exact cause of death.
