They took “funeral service” too literally.
Western backpackers accidentally gatecrashed a funeral in Thailand after they embarrassingly mistook the venue for a restaurant, per a video eliciting cringes online.
“I went over to speak with them, and they asked if the place was a food court,” a wake attendee, Charantorn Chaloemkiad, told Viral Press of their “White Lotus”-evoking faux pas.
The unnamed tourists waiting to be served. ViralPress/noom
He was reportedly greeting mourners at the traditional service on January 31 in Nakhon Si Thammarat when he observed a couple of German tourists enter the premises, thinking it was an eatery.
The humiliating clip shows the pair sitting at a table waiting for a menu, oblivious to the fact that they were in the midst of a mourning ceremony.
Charantorn went over to speak with the pair, finding out that they thought the service was a “food court” after hearing about them online. In other words, weddings and wakes aren’t the only events that look similar from afar.
“They had wandered over from a nearby night market and followed the smell of the cooking,” he recalled.
They asked if the place was a food court,” said wake attendee Charantorn Chaloemkiad. . ViralPress/noom
When Charantorn informed the interlopers of their blunder, they were “mortified” and “very apologetic.” However, he said he found their gaffe “very funny.”
Hoping to ease the humiliation, the deceased’s sister invited the bozos to stay, proving that not even wake-crashers are exempt from Thai hospitality.
She served them iced milk and crispy, golden, deep-fried dough sticks. When the travelers finished their “mourning” meal, they thanked the family before vacating the premises.
Perhaps the pair can be forgiven somewhat, given that Thai funerals often last for several days and involve a bounty of tasty snacks.
Coincidentally, German tourists weren’t the only ones who inadvertently crashed this particular service.
Just two days later, a group of Dutch travelers also entered the premises and asked if the “restaurant” served cocktails.
Just like with their Rhineland counterparts, the family invited the visitors to break bread with them anyway.
“They were amazed by the gesture and said Thai people are the kindest in the world,” said Charantorn.
