Family, friends bid farewell to Thai-British teen murdered in Thailand

UPDATE 3

Family and friends bid farewell to Thai-British teenager Woramet “Ben” Taota in an emotional funeral ceremony held in Lampang province in northern Thailand yesterday.

Ben was murdered by local criminal 44 year old Chaiwat in what police suspect to be a drug deal gone wrong. He was last seen riding away from his house on a motorbike with 16 year old Ping Pong on Saturday, May 6.

Ooy, Ben’s mother, collapsed in a flood of tears as her 17 year old son’s body was cremated at a crematorium in Ban Jua Klang, Samai subdistrict, Sop Prap district yesterday. Sixteen monks chanted prayers in the Pali language to make merit for Ben at the traditional Buddhist send-off.

Twelve of Ben’s motocross friends joined the 2-kilometre funeral procession from Ben’s house to the crematorium and revved their engines in front of the crematorium to send off their fellow adventurer.

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