By Jeff Petry Udon Thani Magazine Guide Issue 14
We live in a magical kingdom here in Thailand. Although the country is predominantly Buddhist, we all know that Buddhism is rather like the tip of the iceberg, with a huge body of animism just below the surface.
Everywhere we go – from our first hotels in Bangkok to our family’s home upcountry – we come face to face, so to speak, with the world of spirits, most visibly in the form of spirit houses. These are carefully tended and maintained by the residents of the dwelling, who typically change the water, flowers, and food daily, while burning incense, waiing, and praying to the spirits of the place.
Above all, one wants to keep these spirits happy, for misfortune begins to fall on the household whose spirits are displeased, or upset, or mistreated. From the auspicious day that the foundation pillars of a house are erected, the spirits are beseeched with a group of shoots, or small branches (called dton awe), affixed to the “first” or central pillar of the house.
Should a series of mishaps, accidents, or general ill fortune befall one’s home, a sedork kaw (pictured below) can be prepared to make amends to the spirits. On all these occasions, a small group of monks come to the house to chant and perform the respective ceremonies. Typically, five monks will come. If more, they will number seven, or nine: auspicious numbers.
Another of these ceremonies you may be familiar with is called dum, which is the pattern of dots a monk will make in your car - often above the visor - or in your house, to guard against malevolent spirits and misfortune.
Most of the above are animist practices, but it seems the lines have blurred some over the years into what may more rightly be called superstition. A neighbor told me to turn the light off on my rear bike light, for example, since according to her, ghosts won't follow you if you turn the lights off.
I remember my partner telling me a story about how her uncle was put under a spell by a Lao lady. The spell/spirit caused him to run away with the Lao woman and leave his wife and family. His wife tried to reverse the spell by visiting a famous temple but this attempt was unsuccessful.
So, as a last resort she removed her underwear and placed them on his head. Apparently, Thai people - well, some of them anyway - believe placing one’s underwear on or over your head can either bring you bad luck; or, in this case, remove unwanted spirits/spells. The ‘knickers on the head' trick worked in this case, and he left the Lao girl and returned to his family: proof if any were needed in the efficacy of this practice.
Another curious incident comes to mind: the case of the ambivalent farang you could call it. After being caught out fooling around one too many times with the construction workers building her new house, her husband had enough and went back home to Austria, cursing the day he met this little waif. Needless to say, the family were none too happy about the loss of the cash cow, who was supporting about nine family members, plus a few sordid hangers-on.
Hence, time for a ceremony. All manner of objects were collected, not unlike the sedork kaw tray (pictured), including as many of ole Diether's personal items that could be gathered: a favorite T-shirt, an old pair of sunglasses, even some of his hair they had salvaged from a comb. Strings were tied around the objects, incense lit, and a shaman brought in to perform the ceremony, who did a great deal of chanting and spitting of water on all the objects and people involved.
Well, you guessed it; a week later, Diether comes sliding back into the village to complete the long-delayed building of the house, and moves back in with his wayward waif. Obviously, the validity of the ceremony is proven: to the family and to all the villagers who know what has been done. The proof is in the pudding, and the apparent successes reinforce the practices.
In the end, who are we to disparage such acts, after all? Whether it's the act itself that works, or everyone's belief in their power, they do indeed seem to work more often than not.
- thai-superstition.jpg (85.39 KiB) Viewed 379 times
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... here we go, off to the temple to start attaing merits! ( Merits are required more frequently when there is a farang husband involved )
... The Thais' think that the Khymers' can go and chant in their local temple and thier foes drop dead 
... standing in for OT when he's off with a well fit bird 
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