It’s that time of the year again when broomsticks, witches hats, jack-o-lanterns, and spooky decorations line the front of stores. Although trick or treating isn’t part of Thai culture, ghost stories, lores and spiritual beings are part of everyday life here. Just walking down the streets of Thailand, you will probably come across spirit houses and various shrines. Ghost stories are also often told on shows and radios and there always seems to be a Thai horror movie at the cinema! Let’s have a look at some of the most well known beings from the Thai spirit world – are there any similarities to the stories you grew up with?
Depiction of a Pret (Image source | Unknown)
Pret
Also known as Preta or hungry ghosts, a variation of pret exists in many cultures due to its Hindu and Buddhist origins. Stories and statues in Thailand often portray them as extremely skinny but with pot bellies, as tall as palm trees, hands as big as palm leaves and mouths with opening the size of the hole on a needle. Not being able to fit much food into their mouths, they experience eternal suffering due to their insatiable hunger.
Growing up I was always told that people who have done many wrongs in their lives will be reborn as a pret, especially if they have physically or verbally abused their parents (hence the big hands and tiny mouth). However in Buddhist literature pret exists in various forms, each of their features reflecting the ill actions of their human lives. It is believed that you can hear the high pitch screeching of their calls asking people for good merit. When they accumulate enough good merit they can finally escape the pret realm, end their suffering and be reborn.
A movie poster of “Baan Phi Pop” (Phi Pop House) from 1989 (Image source | Film Archive)
Phi Pop
A feared evil spirit is believed to be able to possess anyone, male or female. Once they have successfully possessed the person, they will eat their intestines, kidneys, liver, and other organs from the inside. Once all consumed, the person dies, and phi pop leaves to find another victim. Historically, people in rural areas were very fearful of this spirit as they believed the possession would cause ill health, both physically and mentally. To banish the spirit, one can try inhaling the smoke from a roasted chilli or by surprising and frightening the person, however the most effective way is by using a specialised mor phi (shaman, literally translates to ghost doctor).
People believe that phi pop is created when someone is using dark magic to destroy other people’s lives – in these ceremonies there are rules and requirements that the person has to uphold. When these are broken, they are punished and turn into phi pop. Phi pop is also known as Kalum in the North Eastern region of Thailand.
A movie scene from a film adaptation of Mae Nak’s story in 1959 (Image source | Film Archive)
Mae Nak Phra Khanong
For over 100 years, the story of Mae Nak has been adapted and retold in all forms of entertainment in Thailand, from books, comics, radio plays, TV series, and movies – making this one of the most well-known spirits around the country. The story is about a woman called Aum Daeng Nak who lived near the canal in Phra Khanong in Bangkok. While her husband Mak had military service, she went into labour and unfortunately died while giving birth. Her unwavering love for Mak made her spirit linger and people in the area would often see her holding her baby, waiting for her husband to come back by the canal and hear her sing lullabies.
Her death was unbeknownst to Mak, he came back from his military service and happily saw Mae Nak (mae means mother) waiting for him. She would cook for him and carry on with her daily activities, but Mak soon found out and got scared. Shamans and monks were called in to help her spirit pass on from this realm but her attachment was strong. Eventually, one of the most revered monks of that time, Somdet To, came to pray for her and was successful. Today, there is still a shrine of Mae Nak Phra Khanong at Wat Mahabut that you can visit
Mae Nak’s shrine at Wat Mahabut in Phra Khanong, Bangkok (Image Source | Wat Mahabut)
Krahung (left) and krasue (right) (Images Source | Silpa Mag)
Krahung
Many people know krahung as the lover of krasue, a creature that appears to be an ordinary woman during the day but floats around with just her head and intestines looking for food at night. Like krasue, krahung is also a lore from the Central regions of Thailand and is believed to be created from involvement in dark magic. A krahung appears as a normal man but has a tail, he is very careful with hiding it so as to not give away his true identity – it is said that he carries a pestle behind to help conceal his tail. During the day he hides inside and at night can fly around using a pair of threshing baskets as wings looking for food, however records do not show that krahung causes any harm to humans.
Article By Oun V.