A woman thought to be dead, who was about to be cremated at a Buddhist temple in the outskirts of Bangkok, Thailand, has been found alive by staff. Pairat Soodthoop, general manager of the Wat Rat Prakhong Tham temple, was 'startled' to hear a faint knock from the coffin, he told the Associated Press news agency.

Mr. Soodthoop stated he requested the coffin to be opened and saw the woman 'opening her eyes slightly and knocking on the side of the coffin.' 'She must have been knocking for quite some time,' he added.

The brother of the 65-year-old woman mentioned local officials had told him his sister had died, but the temple's manager pointed out that he did not possess a death certificate. As Mr. Soodthoop attempted to explain to the brother how to obtain one, staff heard a knock from inside the coffin.

Once it was confirmed the woman was alive, the temple's abbot advised for her to be taken to hospital immediately. A doctor later confirmed that she had been experiencing severe hypoglycemia - a condition where blood sugar levels get critically low. The doctor ruled out the possibility of respiratory failure or cardiac arrest.

The brother reported that his sibling had been bedridden for the last two years and, as her health declined, she seemed to have stopped breathing on Saturday, according to the temple's manager. The family traveled nearly 500km (311 miles) from Phitsanulok province for the cremation ceremony.}