20-4-2024 (BANGKOK) The heartwarming story of a Taiwanese mortuary cosmetologist offering free services to the people of Buri Ram has taken Thai social media by storm. Yingphan Wongwai, a 48-year-old native of Buri Ram, shared the tale of how a beautiful Taiwanese woman came forward to work on a deceased man’s body, which had been deemed unpresentable and already decomposing, leading the family to opt for a closed casket funeral.
Chou Yi Hua, also known as Emma, a 33-year-old mortuary cosmetologist from Taiwan, explained to The Nation that she has been honing her craft for the past four years. Emma’s passion for making deceased bodies appear natural and lifelike was sparked by a personal experience—she was dissatisfied with the work done on her own father’s body by morticians in Taiwan.
Having stumbled upon a funeral home’s Facebook page in Thailand, Emma reached out to offer her services free of charge. Not only did she provide her expertise in mortuary cosmetology, but she also offered free lessons to those interested in learning this art. Recognizing that the profession was not highly regarded in Thailand due to societal perceptions, Emma made an effort to learn the Thai language before arriving in the country, enabling her to communicate effectively with the locals.
This marks Emma’s second visit to Thailand, during which she has generously worked on approximately 50 bodies without charge. Each visit spans around 10 days, during which she immerses herself in the local community, offering her services to nearby mortuaries. After her volunteering stint, she returns to her job in Taiwan.
