Devotees climb into coffins for Thailand’s strangest New Year ceremony

Devotees pray before lying down inside coffins to get rid of bad luck and to reborn again for a fresh start in the New Year at a temple in Nonthaburi. - Reuters

BANGKOK (The Nation/Asia News Network): Every New Year holiday, people pour into Wat Takian temple on the western outskirts of Bangkok to participate in a strange ceremony they believe will remove their bad luck and bring good fortune throughout the year.

Devotees of these spooky rites lie in open coffins with flowers and incense sticks clasped between their hands, resembling corpses as they enter the crematorium.