An elderly man who lived with his wife's dead body for 21 years has finally had her cremated.
Charn Janwatchakal bid farewell to his partner after holding on to her remains for more than two decades in what he called a demonstration of "eternal love".
The 72-year-old, from Bangkok, Thailand, laid his deceased spouse to rest on April 30 with the help of Phet Kasem Bangkok Foundation.
Photos show Charn crying and helping to carry the coffin outside his home in the city's Bang Khen district.
In a video he was heard telling his wife: "Mum, you are just going for a brief business and you’ll be back home again.
"It won’t be long, I promise.”
Charn had lived with her body, which was inside a coffin, in a tiny ramshackle one-floor concrete house which looked like a storage room.
He mostly used the little property for sleeping but would talk to his wife's body as if she was still alive, reports The Straits Times.
He had no electricity and the home is said to have been in a poor condition.
And Charn lived on water he shared with a neighbour.
During the day, he occupied himself with his pet cats and dogs in a small space next to the home.
It is understood he had registered his wife's death, despite pretending she was alive and so no legal action is being taken against him for concealing a body.
Foundation officials accompanied him to pick up a copy of the death certificate from Bang Khen district office.
The year of her death was recorded as 2001.
An executive for the foundation had been visiting him for two months with food and water, helping Charn recover from a motorcycle accident.
The executive was not aware of the developments and failed the notice the coffin.
Charn then reached out to the organisation for help in arranging a cremation, fearing if he passed away his wife would never get a proper funeral.
During a visit on Monday, he told lawyer Nitithorn Kaewto he has several university degrees, including from the Faculty of Pharmacy at Chulalongkorn University.
He had worked as a medic in the Royal Thai Army.
His wife had served in the public health ministry.
Charn also said he had previously lived with his two sons but they had moved out after failing to persuade their dad to have their mum laid to rest.
Following the cremation, he put the remains in a white cloth and put them in the same place as the coffin had been.
The foundation has repaired the home's roof, as well as removed weeds and given Charn a new mattress, blanket and pillow.
He has vowed to do volunteer work for the organisation.
