In Thailand, ghosts are not fairy tale characters; they are housemates with instructions. From flying heads with dangling entrails to thirsty ghosts slurping red Fanta, every Thai keeps the invisible as a friend and provides a nice place to stay, including drinks and entertainment. Buddha may be a wise counselor, but it is the ghosts who call the shots, with their eternal thirst for sacrifices and rituals in a mysterious, dizzying world full of fear and enchantment.
10 questions and answers about ghosts and superstitions
What should you do if your dog starts whining at 2 a.m.? What's the easiest way to see a ghost? For some/most/all Thais, these questions shouldn't be too hard, but readers of Thailandblog will have more trouble with them. In this posting 10 questions about Thai ghosts and supernatural beliefs.
Superstitions in Thailand
In certain parts of Thailand (North and Northeast), Animism plays a more important role than Buddhism. Superstitions can sometimes take on strange forms, as this list of examples shows.
Ghosts don't exist. Or….?
Egon's father-in-law was a convinced Buddhist. One day the Buddha helped him find his lost necklace. "Could there be something more between heaven and earth than we suspect?"
A higher power or my primitive self?
Thailand is the land of ghosts and my wife also sees ghosts on our land, even during the day. “Seeing” is actually not the right word, it will be “observing”. And some Thai visitors have also had similar experiences. However, I and other farang visitors have never seen, heard, smelled or felt anything special.
About ghosts, phantoms, ghosts and other creeps…
Belief in ghosts, phantoms, specters and other supernatural phenomena is more vibrant than ever in Thailand. The concern to keep 'those across the street' happy or at least satisfied leaves traces throughout society. Ghosts are serious business in Thailand, so I'd like to take a quick look at some of the most notable inhabitants of Thailand's very diverse and very colorful ghost kingdom.
Ghosts in Chiang Mai
In this new story by Alphonse Wijnants, “Ghosts in Chiang Mai,” the main characters stay at the Lai Thai Guesthouse in Northern Thailand. Although the property looks old and charming, they feel a presence of ghosts. Kittima, a Thai woman, clearly feels this presence and as the days go by, the main characters are also confronted with strange and terrifying events.
Discover Thailand (11): Animism (belief in ghosts)
Animism is an ancient form of religion that sees nature as animate and sentient. It is a belief that every living thing has a soul. This means that even things like trees, rivers and mountains have a soul according to the animist tradition. These souls are seen as guardian spirits who help to make life run in harmony.
The uncertainty of Thai existence…
Just like us, Thais also struggle with life questions and important choices they have to make. In such situations, the white noses usually discuss it with family or a close friend. Thai consult fortune tellers, map readers or an old monk.
Good Luck the Thai way
Nowhere in the world have I met more people who believe so intensely that they can influence happiness as in Thailand.
Spirited Thailand: a few tips…
For those of you, dear readers who are now expecting a contribution about Lao Khao or other spirit-rich distillates: a pity but alas… Today I would like to take a moment to reflect on the Thai taste for the morbid, which is difficult for Westerners to grasp, and their special connection with the spirit realm.
Fortune teller, a gold mine in Thailand
Thais are very superstitious. They believe in ghosts and in influencing luck. Thai also believe that some people are able to predict the future.
It's almost an obsession: Looking for lucky numbers
Twenty million Thais play in an illegal lottery twice a month. They consult spirits, such as Mae Nak, or visit the 'Tree of the 100 Corpses'. This is how you give luck a helping hand.
The Prophecy – A short story by Phaithun Thanya
He had been standing there for a very long time…. so long that no one really knew how long. The very old villagers and those who had died long ago also said that it had been there for as long as they could remember. The tree now spread its branches and its roots over a large area. Over a quarter of the village land there were roots when digging. Its gnarled roots and tangled branches indicated that this banyan tree was the oldest living thing in the village.
'The genie is out of the bottle'
Animism and superstition are intertwined with Thai society. Even more so in the countryside. Whoever turns on the TV in Thailand, invariably sees the images of programs where Thais speak who have had an experience with ghosts. The entire story is reenacted on TV. It makes us laugh, for the Thai it is an extremely serious matter
Spirit house in Thailand
Ghost worship is as old as mankind. Animism was once the virtually sole “religion” around the world. From the moment the Thais migrated here from China, this also applied to this area, which is now called Thailand. When Buddhism was accepted as a religion, it was in a parallel development with Animism.
The nanny spirits of Thailand
In Thailand, ghosts have traditionally been part of everyday life and have taken on many forms. For example, there is Mae Sue, or the nanny spirit who "buys" newborns to protect them from evil spirits.
Why is a Thai baby always ugly?
When a baby is born, my Thai wife always says he/she is ugly. I thought that was weird and wanted her to stop. But she says that Thai people do that because otherwise they are afraid that the baby will be stolen by a ghost or something. So it has to do with superstition.
Spirit savior of lost souls
In Samea San lives a fisherman with a special mission. Too poor to be trained as a monk and still wanting to honor his deceased parents, he took up one of the meritorious tasks in Buddhism: collecting the dead from the sea.
A new Isaan life (2)
The morning after mother and son return home, De Inquisitor has to go to the woods with the love. To collect plants, some with roots and all. Of course the farang wants to know what and why? The sweet starts to smile because she knows his cynicism about ghost stories. And yes, against the ghosts.
A look into the crystal ball
Is it superstition, fear or just curiosity that haunts the minds of many a Thai? Reading hands and maps, predicting the future or just asking for advice, it's all the most normal thing in the world in the land of smiles
Caves are seductive, dangerous and mythical places
Caves are sacred places in Thailand where Buddhist, animistic and Hindu elements also play a major role. Any visitor to caves in Thailand will undoubtedly have noticed that they are often places where the Buddha is worshiped together with spirits, demons and giants.