Kuman Thong or spirit child
Superstition is deeply rooted in many Thai people. Poet Phra Suthorn Vohara (Sunthom Phu) dedicated a poem to it in which a warrior threatened to be poisoned by his pregnant wife. He cut it open and ripped out the fetus, holding it in front of the fire and casting a spell. The spirit of the fetus would have helped him further and warned him of dangers from the enemy. The man named the ghost Kuman Thong, which means "Golden Child".
Since then, many Thais have been trying to buy a Kuman Thong. Initially, there were stone baby figures for sale containing pieces of fetuses or babies, but since 1970 it was banned for desecration of a corpse. Monks who engaged in this have stopped doing so. However adult parts seem to be allowed. Sometimes in the form of ashes if the family agrees.
Nontawat Tongtammachad has made it its specialty in Bangkok and has many customers who buy these baby figures to make their wishes come true. Like many Buddhists, Thais also believe in rebirth. In every part of a deceased man his spirit and power remains. The bigger the baby figure, the more you have to pay up to 30.000 Baht.
As contradictory as it may sound, Thais also fear the spirit of the deceased and often place the Kuman Thong next to a Buddha statue in their home. Sweets and drinks are arranged like at a ghost house.
A temple from which Nontawat gets its "trade" is called Wat Samngam on the outskirts of Bangkok and is the largest supplier. The ashes of important people, such as high-ranking police officers and village chiefs, have the greatest value, according to monk Phra Anuchit Upanan. The ashes are mixed with soil from 7 cemeteries.
Nontawat's shop also sells figures without human remains, intended for people with a small budget. These are available from 300 baht with resin as content, because they contain the spirit of plants and trees.
That this leads to macabre scenes became apparent in 2018 when 11 dead babies were stolen from a cemetery. In 2012, police arrested a gang that owned an abortion clinic and made figurines from the dead fetuses of Kumang Thong.
Source: der Farang