The Mon at Koh Kret categorize deaths into two types: natural and unnatural. For a natural death, the ritual steps included informing the community about the death, bathing and dressing the body, putting areca nut and a coin into the mouth, covering the mouth with an areca leaf, tying and lowering the body into the coffin, conducting the funeral procession, arranging firewood in the pyre, cremating the body, returning from the cemetery, collecting the ashes, and conducting the Buddha image ritual of release. For an unnatural death, the rituals were different. The body had to be buried as soon as possible without any funeral rites. However, the rites could be conducted seven days after the death and sacrificial food items had to be uncooked. The body for cremation was then exhumed three years after the burial, except those dying of communicable diseases. Monks in the monkhood for over 20 years as well as the temple abbot, vice abbots and elderly monks had to be cremated separately from lay people with elaborate funeral processions. The funeral rituals of monks needed to be conducted strictly because the Mon believed that the merits gained were the same as the funeral rituals of the Lord Buddha. The funeral steps for monks included announcing the news by tolling the temple bell, bathing the body but not tying it, not putting an areca nut and a coin in the mouth, and not sprinkling the body with scented water. The funeral rites took seven days and a temporary pyre was constructed. Fireworks were later used instead of a fire. A group of crying ladies cried ritually. Sacrificial items interspersed with Buddhist teachings. Nowadays, the funerals at Koh Kret have changed a lot. Cremation is conducted for both natural and unnatural deaths because there is no burial ground. Duration of the funerals depends on the budget and convenience. The funeral steps have been simplified and the rites are mostly organized at the temple.