Liab’s ashes are in an urn, interred in this stupa-shaped “taut” (in Thai, “taut” has a short, sharp sound). The taut is embedded onto the wall of Wat Ban Kam Kueng Keo. The taut appears to be made of cast concrete, and the decoration is molded or incised. At one time, it was painted pale blue, though that has since faded. Vases hold flowers and incense sticks.
The monk reads from a paper that contains the name of Liab and other family members who have died recently. White string joins the 4 monks to Liab’s taut. After chanting or praying, the paper is burned.
After being burned, the paper is mixed with water. Later, this mixture is poured onto the ground around the trees in the Wat. This signifies that earthly things eventually return to the earth.
The orange pails are commercially-made “offerings” to the monks (they have shrink-wrapped tops, and seem to be standardized by size). The monks were also offered food, fruit, cloth material (robe material), and some money. These offerings were to thank the monks for their help during the ceremony.
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