Going to a Thai funeral

A Thai Buddhist งานศพ usually runs over several evenings of monks chanting at the temple, followed days or months later by the cremation. As a friend or colleague you'll typically attend one evening. Wear ชุดดำ or black and white, arrive a little before the chanting, greet the hosts with a wai, and light incense or pour water over the hands of the deceased if invited. An envelope (ซอง) with your name on it, given to the host's table, helps with costs. At the cremation, guests file past to place a ดอกไม้จันทน์ under the coffin. Keep voices low; the right words are simply ขอแสดงความเสียใจ.