The study entitled “A Study On Changes in Buddhists’ Funeral Ceremony :A Case Study on Banmoon Village, Naprang Sub-District,Pong District, Phayao Province” has three objectives; 1) to study the concept, belief and rites of death ceremony in Buddhism., 2) to study form and management of the death ceremony in Moon village in past and present, and 3) to analyze cause and factors that make changes to the death ceremony in the Moon village. This study is a documentary and qualitative research. The data presentation is based on descriptive form focusing on answering objectives and research questions.

Findings reveal that death ceremony in the time of the Buddha was easy and simple with less procedure, but great emphasis is on fragrant object offerings, merit dedication to departed and appropriate play. Duration of keeping dead body does not last more than seven days and ends with cremation. The ceremony for the Buddha’s body was systematically arrange according to the emperor’s way whereas ceremony for general people was simple and way of arrangement was not clear in way and system. In Lanna itself, there are three types of ceremony; high class people, Buddhist monk and general people. It takes a long period of time to arrange in a grand way while an easy, simple and rushing way is done in general people’s death ceremony.

In death ceremony arrangement in the Moon village, the research findings show some changes and some preservation. The form of practice rite for people who are going to die is still practiced in the Moon village but some changes are clearly seen in ceremony performed after death. Buddhist ceremony does not change and some correct practices have been changed according to religious ceremony. Besides, the form and rites are standardized by the social process in a unique way.

From analytical study, it is found that changes in death ceremony arrangement in the Moon village are mainly form selfishness of people in community and way of life that has changed. People focus on only convenient and fast life forgetting unity. In community itself, there is a cooperative group to manage advantages and also high education of Buddhist monk including role of community leaders affected by political factor and people’s idea to have equal status in society. These cause changes in the death ceremony arrangement in the Moon village because of community leaders’ experience. In addition, there are some outside factors that are from different cultural exchange, the flow of capitalism that gives rise to economic representative.