CHONBURI — 29 March 2026, A crematorium worker sparked alarm at a petrol station after bringing a coffin to the pumps to prove he needed diesel for a funeral, not for hoarding, following an initial refusal to fill containers.
The man, identified as Preecha, 48, recorded and shared a video describing his frustration after staff declined to sell diesel into containers, despite his explanation that it was required as fuel for a cremation.
He later returned with the deceased’s body placed in a coffin on a hearse, along with three 18-litre containers, to demonstrate that the fuel would be used for cremation. After staff consulted the station manager, they agreed to fill the containers.
Reporters later met Preecha at a temple along Highway 344 in Ban Bueng district, where he works as a crematorium operator. He said the deceased’s family had consented to cremation due to financial hardship, while the hospital needed to free storage space.
Burial was not immediately possible, he added, as local rescue units were clearing a cemetery, delaying interments. A donor had provided money for fuel to carry out the cremation.
Preecha said he had been purchasing diesel in containers from the same station for years. However, amid recent fuel shortages linked to global conflict, stricter controls led staff to refuse container sales, likely over concerns about hoarding.
“I really needed the fuel for a cremation today,” he said, adding that he brought the coffin to the station and opened it to confirm the body was inside, insisting he had no intention of stockpiling fuel.
He said the incident reflects growing difficulties faced by crematorium workers, who rely on diesel as a key fuel source.