The Spirit Ambulance: Choreographing the End of Life in Thailand

by Scott Stonington

The Spirit Ambulance is a journey into decision-making at the end of life in Thailand, where families attempt to craft good deaths for their elders in the face of clashing ethical frameworks, from a rapidly developing universal medical system, to national and global human-rights politics, to contemporary movements in Buddhist metaphysics. Scott Stonington’s gripping ethnography documents how Thai families attempt to pay back a “debt of life” to their elders through intensive medical care, followed by a medically assisted rush from the hospital to home to ensure a spiritually advantageous last breath. The result is a powerful exploration of the nature of death and the complexities arising from the globalization of biomedical expertise and ethics around the world.
 

Genres: Nonfiction, Death, Anthropology

203 pages, Hardcover

Published August 25, 2020

Reviews

[Kai]

Written for a wide audience and really well done. Taught it to undergrads recently for a medical anthropology section in an intro to sociocultural anthropology course. Would also be great for an intro to bioethics or medical ethics course.

[Kathryn Porter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing, scott Stonington tells the story of both end of life in northern Thailand and the evolution of the political landscape in the country. Describing how they both impact each other, in a way that is accessible to someone from a western culture. It was wonderful for someone like me who dreams of being an ethnographer but will have to settle for taking as many anthropology courses as my electives will allow.

As a psych major, who will likely end up in palliative care, I was absorbed in the ingenuity and creativity of the northern Thai people. Stonington clearly has a deep love for all people, which is apparent in the way he tells his personal stories and explains the culture. Above all I feel more confident in my own hypothesis that Eastern and Western medicine are absolutely compatible.

[Kate Cruickshank · Rating 5 out of 5]

A medical anthropology professor recommended this a few years back, and it felt so serendipitous to rediscover it in my “to read” list while living in Chiang Mai. This ethnography looks at the effects of medicalization of dying in northern Thailand, the relationship between religion and biomedicine, and the complex end-of-life “choreography” that ensues as a result of it. The concept of maintaining kamlang čhai and the extent Thais go to preserve it at the end of life was fascinating, and really made me reflect on the very Western principle of patient autonomy. Only thing missing for me was a positionality statement. Very readable and I highly recommended for my health care professional friends!!

[Ryan Logan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stonington’s ethnography details the end-of-life process in Thailand. His ethnography is succinct yet provides a detailed account of how Western biomedicine is interwoven with Thai culture and Buddhism within the dying process. His ethnography is cogent and accessibly written and would recommend to anyone interested in learning more about how dying is approached in Thailand. Overall, there is much for Western biomedical practitioners to learn from how Thais approach death and dying.

[Mariza Lopez · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is incredible well-written and fascinating ethnography. I thought this was so interesting, and it really captivated me with the personal experiences and stories that are presented without it. I really enjoyed reading this and definitely recommend in order to learn about different cultures and practices.

[Kathryn Peterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like reading a textbook but I was very interested in the topic of buddhist Thai beliefs and nuances surrounding death and hospitals.

[zoe]

i did not read all of this (hence no rating) but the parts i did read for class were very interesting! it was easy to follow and opened my world view

[gin · Rating 5 out of 5]

read for my anthropology class but amazing read! Talks about thai culture and how they process death.

[Natalie Hall · Rating 3 out of 5]

An ethnography of end of life practices in Thailand. Chapter 4 was especially interesting--considering notions of personhood and how different frameworks have different implications for ethics.