Suriya Coffins: traditions become market opportunities

In: Society and business review, Volume 6, Issue 2, p. 168-175

Abstract

PurposeThis paper seeks to investigate the manner in which a traditional ceremony with a high emotional content is being transformed into a capitalist market industry through a case study of the Thai company Suriya Coffins.Design/methodology/approachThe case study involves a critical analysis of secondary data together with ethnographic observation of Buddhist funerals in Thailand.FindingsSuriya Coffins has achieved a degree of market success by providing a basic package of services that can be supplemented by additional services on a network model. However, there have to date been certain constraints to growth.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper considers one single model in a single location in Thailand and so results cannot be taken to be widely generalisable.Practical implicationsUrbanization attenuates the link between people and traditional village communities and this opens spaces for commercial corporations to operate.Social implicationsGlobalization means increasing amounts of the sphere of traditional culture enter the world of commerce and this can lead to a certain degree of alienation.Originality/valueFew if any studies of the funeral industry in Thailand have been undertaken from a business perspective. The link between tradition and commercialism is generally underresearched.