Fuel Shortages Disrupt Thailand’s Sacred Buddhist Funeral Rites

Worsening fuel shortages resulting from the war in the Middle East are threatening sacred funeral ceremonies in Thailand, where Buddhist temples are scrambling to obtain diesel for cremations.

The abbot of Wat Saman Rattanaram in Chachoengsao province, about 50 miles east of Bangkok, warned that a suspension of cremation services is a real possibility. Some gas stations have run out of fuel, while others only allow sales to vehicle operators.