What to do after a British person dies in Thailand

If you are dealing with the death of a child, multiple deaths, a suspicious death or a case of murder or manslaughter, call +66 (0) 2 305 8333.

Register the death and obtain a death certificate

After someone has died, they are usually taken to a mortuary where they will be formally identified. The standards of mortuary facilities in Thailand vary greatly.

Deaths must be registered in the country where the person died. In Thailand, death certificates are issued by the local district office (Amphur). They are written in Thai and available at the time of registration. If the death occurred in a hospital, the medical facility may be able to liaise with the Amphur on behalf of the family. You may wish to request extra copies of the death certificate to assist in officially informing other organisations of the death.

You do not need to register the death in the UK. The local death certificate can usually be used in the UK for most purposes, including probate. You will need to get the death certificate translated into English. Translation services are widely available in major cities in Thailand, but less so in rural areas.

If you wish, you can register the death with the Overseas Registration Unit. You can buy a UK-style death certificate, known as a Consular Death Registration certificate. A record will be sent to the General Register Office within 12 months.

You need to tell the local authorities if the person who died suffered from an infectious condition, such as hepatitis or HIV, so they can take precautions against infection.

Deal with a local post-mortem

Post-mortems are normally required in Thailand following the death of a non-Thai national. Exceptions may apply if the death occurred in a hospital unless the cause of death is unknown, unnatural, sudden or violent. Post-mortems are carried out by forensic doctors. Cultural or religious sensitivities may not be taken into account. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office cannot stop or interfere with the process.

During a post-mortem, small tissue samples and organs may be removed and retained for testing without the consent of the next of kin. You will not automatically be told if this happens.

If you want a copy of the post-mortem report, you must apply through the coroner in the UK (in the case of a repatriation) or through the Funeral Director you used to handle local arrangements. Fees may apply.

In Thailand a post-mortem report is usually written in Thai and available three months after the death occurred.

Get a Consular Letter

You may need to request a Consular Letter from the embassy before a Thai local authority or hospital will release the body for burial, cremation or repatriation.

Consular Letters can be requested from the British Embassy Bangkok by sending an email, to Bangkok.DocumentaryServices@fcdo.gov.uk, or by calling +66 (0)2 3058 333. If you are in the UK, contact the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, +44(0)207 008 5000.

Before a Consular Letter can be issued, you will need to send copies of the following documents:

• the photo page of your passport or your Thai ID
• your marriage certificate (if you are the spouse of the person that died)
• your written authority giving permission for someone else to act on behalf of the family or next of kin (along with their contact details and a copy of their passport or Thai ID)
• for Funeral Directors, a copy of any relevant documents stated above along with the Police or hospital death notification. The request should be made in writing using your company email address or letter headed paper

Bury or cremate the body locally

To have a local burial or cremation, a relative or a formally appointed representative needs to appoint a local funeral director. See list of local funeral directors.

Local burials are rare in Thailand for religious reasons. As a result, they are very expensive and difficult to organise. The next of kin is advised to consider repatriation if they want the person who died to be buried.

Cremation can take place once the Thai authorities are content that the cause of death has been established or no further examinations on the body need to take place.

If arrangements have not been made within a specific timeframe, usually 30 days, the person who died will be cremated and buried in a ‘paupers’ mass funeral. Consular staff may be able to request information of the burial site.

If a local burial or cremation takes place, there will not be a coroner’s inquest carried out in the UK.

Contact the travel insurance company

If the person who died had insurance, contact their insurance company as soon as possible. Insurance providers may help to cover the cost of repatriation. Repatriation is the process of bringing the body home. Insurance providers may also help with any medical, legal, interpretation and translation fees.

If the person who died had insurance, the insurance company will appoint a funeral director both locally and in the UK.

What to do if the person who died didn’t have insurance

If you are not sure whether the person who died had insurance, check with their bank, credit card company or employer.

If the person who died did not have insurance, a relative or a formally appointed representative will usually have to appoint a funeral director and be responsible for all costs. See list of UK-based international funeral directors.

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office cannot help with any costs. In some cases, funeral directors and lawyers may provide services on a pro bono basis. Pro bono work is done for free or for a much reduced cost depending on your circumstances. This is decided on a case by case basis.

Charities and organisations that offer support

Some UK-based charities and organisations may be able to offer assistance, support and information to people affected by a death abroad. See list of UK-based charities and organisations.

Bring the body home

If the person who died had insurance, find out if their insurance provider can help cover the cost of repatriation. Repatriation is the process of bringing the body home. If so, they will make all the necessary arrangements.

If the person who died is not covered by insurance, you will need to appoint an international funeral director yourself.

Find an international funeral director

A relative or a formally appointed representative must appoint a UK-based international funeral director for the person who died to be repatriated to the UK. See list of UK-based international funeral directors.

Local funeral directors will work with UK-based international funeral directors to make sure all the necessary requirements are met both locally and in the UK. This includes providing documents such as a local civil registry death certificate, a certificate of embalming and a certificate giving permission to transfer the remains to the UK.

Advice and financial assistance for repatriation

For organisations and charities that may be able to offer assistance with repatriation, see information on LBT Global in Coping with death abroad: specialist support and advice or repatriation charities in Northern Ireland and Wales.

If you want to have a post-mortem in the UK once the body has been repatriated, you can request one from a UK coroner. The coroner will then decide if a post-mortem is needed. If you want the person who died to be cremated, you need to apply for a certificate from the coroner (form ‘Cremation 6’).

Bring the ashes home

If you choose local cremation and wish to take the ashes back to the UK yourself, you can usually do so.

Check with the airline about specific restrictions or requirements, for example whether you can carry the ashes as hand luggage. When leaving Thailand with human ashes you will need to:

• show the death certificate

• show the certificate of cremation

• fill in a standard customs form when you arrive home

• follow local rules about departing with human ashes

You should not have the person cremated abroad if you want a UK coroner to conduct an inquest into their death. If it is not possible for you to transport the ashes yourself, a funeral director will be able to make the necessary arrangements. See list of UK-based international funeral directors.

Retrieve belongings

Personal belongings found on the person who died at the time of death are handed to the police if the family is not present.

If you choose to repatriate, instruct the local funeral director to collect all personal belongings from the police or court and ship them together with the person who died.

If there is an investigation into the death, clothing may be retained as evidence and will not be returned until the court case is finished.

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office cannot help with the cost of returning personal belongings to the family.

Find a translator

You may need a translator to help understand information from local authorities or get certain documents translated. See list of official translators.

Find a lawyer

You can apply to appoint a lawyer in certain circumstances, such as a suspicious death. See list of English speaking lawyers.

Cancel a passport

To avoid identity fraud, the passport of the person who died should be cancelled with Her Majesty’s Passport Office (HMPO). To do this, you need to complete a D1 form.

If you plan to repatriate the person who died to the UK, you may require their passport to do this. In these circumstances, you should cancel the passport after they have been repatriated.

Check you have done everything you need to do in the UK

Check this step-by-step guide for when someone dies to make sure you have done everything you need to do in the UK after someone has died. You can find information on how to tell the government about the death, UK pensions and benefits and dealing with the estate of the person who died.

Pensions and bereavement support payments

Spouses and civil partners of British nationals that have died may be able to get:

• payments from their partner’s workplace, personal or stakeholder pension - it will depend on the pension scheme. Contact the pension scheme to find out. UK state pensions are administered by the International Pension Centre

• War Widow’s or Widower Pension - if your partner died because of their service in the Armed Forces or because of a war

• Bereavement Support Payment