We have all heard of the term 'eternal love', but the act of an elderly Thai man towards his late wife might just be an embodiment of it.

For 21 long years, Charn Janwatchakal, 72, kept the body of his deceased wife in a coffin in the same room where he slept, before finally bidding farewell to her remains recently.

According to reports, the plight of Janwatchakal, a former medic in the Royal Thai Army, came to light when he sought help from the Phet Kasem Bangkok Foundation on April 29 to cremate his wife, who died from a congenital disease in 2001.

Staff from the foundation got a shock when they learned that Janwatchakal had been living with the remains of his wife in a rotting coffin in the small room where he slept in his dilapidated house, which did not even have electricity - talking to "her" daily, as if she was still alive.

He reportedly decided to seek help for her cremation out of concern that nobody will give his beloved wife a proper ceremony after he passes away.

The couple reportedly had two sons but both moved out after their mother's death as they could not accept their father's decision to keep her body.

As he finally bid goodbye on April 30, Janwatchakal reportedly sobbed: "Mum, you are just going for a brief business and you'll be back home again. It won't be long, I promise."

Following the cremation, staff from the foundation helped clean up Janwatchakal's house and provided electricity.

Janwatchakal has now offered to work as a volunteer for the foundation in return for their role in giving his late wife a dignified farewell.

According to reports, the authorities will not take take any legal action against Janwatchakal for concealing a body as he had registered his wife's death.

Such a moving story indeed. Let's hope that Janwatchakal has now found closure to his 'eternal love' story, and will spend his remaining days doing good to others.


Source: Daily Mail, The Star
Photos source: Mirror.co.uk