Haunted Thailand: Ghosts and Spirits in the Land of Smiles
Haunted Thailand: Ghosts and Spirits in the Land of Smiles is a look at what goes bump in the night in the otherwise sunny and cheerful Southeast Asian Kingdom of Thailand.
Ranging from grotesque to seductive, disgusting to cute, malevolent to benevolent, in the ‘Land of Smiles’ ghosts and spirits are everywhere. Although predominantly Buddhist, Thais strongly believe in spirit worship and this, combined with the love of a good grisly tale means there are some fascinating undead wandering around. As a journalist based in Bangkok, Jason R Ward had been hired to write an article on Thai ghosts and hauntings but after a bit of research realized an 800-word piece was, frankly, not going to cut it.
Read about some of the more famous spirits such as the bloodthirsty Mae Nak, an undead woman who won’t take her death lying down and is willing to kill to keep her secret; a Krasue – a surprisingly attractive flying female head with dangling entrails and a truly disgusting diet; or a Praet, a twenty-foot tall invisible entity with colossal hands, a minuscule mouth, and a raging hunger. As if they weren’t enough, there are other stories, including hauntings at the international airport, pretty women who are actually seductive tree spirits and even a ghost who lives in the toilet that helps out with nightmares. Add to the mix spells, rituals, the occult and it is a wonder Thais leave the house at night.
Haunted Thailand brings together some of the better-known tales of the region and a few that even the locals may not know. Dim the lights and enjoy…
Enjoy!
