Foreign tourists in southern Thailand, who were looking for food to eat along the street, walked into a tented area near a night market where a funeral was being held, thinking that it was an eatery.
After being told it was a funeral, they appeared surprised and apologised, before politely asking if they could remain seated, Thai news outlet Khaosod English reported.
The hosts agreed and went on to offer them food and drinks, including Thai iced tea, pink milk and traditional pastries.
A video of this incident, which happened in the Khanom district of Nakhon Si Thammarat province on Jan 31, has been making the rounds online.
It was posted on Facebook by Mr Charantorn Chareomkiad, a family member of the deceased, Thai news site Thaiger reported.
In the clip, two Caucasian men are seen seated at a table prepared for funeral guests, while a Thai woman serves them drinking water.
Mr Charantorn, who filmed the scene, can be heard joking in the background: “Hey, let’s ask them. Are they thinking that this is a buffet?”
He then laughed and allowed his family members to continue serving food to the unsuspecting tourists.
Families of the deceased serving food and drinks to mourners and those attending a funeral is a customary practice in Thailand, Thai news outlet Khaosod English reported.
It is meant to be a gesture of appreciation to guests, and as a way of making merit on behalf of the deceased.
A similar misunderstanding happened the next day, Khaosod English reported, when three Dutch siblings entered the same funeral venue and asked to order drinks. They had mistaken it for an eating place since there were people seated at tables there.
The hosts once again welcomed them and gave them five plates and bowls of food, including curry, after the situation was explained to them.
In the second video that Mr Charantorn posted on Monday (Feb 2), the caption read: “Foreigners come again, haha. This is a funeral! They asked us whether it was a restaurant or not. Anyway, we served them food. They were surprised and happy.”
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/funeral-thailand-tourist-foreigner-eating-street-food-night-market-5905821
