The Thai Spirit House stories

          Many Thais believe that the spirits are everywhere. When we build a new house, there is always the possibility that it has disturbed the spirits who live on the property. In order to protect their new home from retaliatory harm or mischief, some Thai families put up a little house for the spirits to live in. The spirit house must be located somewhere on the grounds we believe that if the spirits are provided with such shelters and appeased with daily offerings (food or flowers or phallic symbols), they will protect the house or building, and shield its inhabitants from harm."

Where you can see the Spirit House

The Spirit house can be seen every where at a prominent spot outside every business establishment,hotel,restaurants,hospital,a bar, disco ,inside temples ,outside caves ,in an uninhabited forest You may also see the spirit houses on the road which were built to pacify the tormented spirits of people who have died violent deaths in crashes at that site.Their theory is that if the spirits who haunt the place are given a home they will not spitefully endanger the drivers who must pass this way. In addition, It is common to see spirit house at the yard of every home.

                    Type of the Spirit House

Shrine of the household god(right)  / the spirit house(left)

1. The Spirit House with single pole. This house will be used for guardian spirit or we can call shrine of the household god.

2. The Spirit House for general spirits was build with 4 poles. It is common spirit houses are smaller than the shrine of the household god.

We can have shrine of the household god alone or together with spirit house. We will never build Spirit house with 4 poles alone. Because we do believe that the spirits can be bad spirits and we need the guardian to control those spirits as well.

Modern Spirit house

Modern Spirit house

  
Most of the spirit houses were built in a traditional Thai style houses in order to match Thai house in the ancient time. Nowsday the spirit houses turn to me more modern just to match the building and houses style in present..

Flowers for parents

Flowers that Thais used to symbolized Mother, Father and Student Virtue


Jasmine: Pure love of mothers

On August 12, Thais will celebrate Her Majesty Queen Sirikit Birthday anniversary as well as was established as the official Mother's Day in Thailand. The beautiful domestic jasmine flower, or málí, also became the symbol of Mother's Day at that time. The idea came about because of the flower's decent properties - it's soft and pure white and has a long-lasting, sweet smell. It also blooms all-year-round and has medicinal value for the heart. It is traditionally believed that white jasmine represents the selfless virtue of a mother who thinks more about the needs, happiness and wants of other people than about herself.. 


 

The Canna Lily: Father is a guardian of the family member

The Thai name for the canna lily is “Buddha Raksa,”which literally means “protected by the grace of the Lord Buddha.”,and since the color yellow represents the birthday of His Majesty King Bhumibol, the canna lily was selected by the Volunteer Society of Thailand in 1980 as the flower to symbolize National Father’s Day on December 5. For children to give to their fathers yellow canna lilies is therefore an expression of the love and respect they unconditionally have for the person who helps keep the family together and nurtures its members with care. 

 Ixora flowers/Eggplant flowers/Bermuda grass:  Student virtue

Thai people admire their teachers as their parents; therefore we have Wai Kru (Thai Traditional Ceremony) which means the ritual of paying respects to the teachers. Below are listed of flowers which students will give to the teacher for their own virtue.

 1. Ixora flowers represent sharp wisdom.
2. Eggplant flowers represent humility and politeness.
3. Bermuda grass represents perseverance and endurance.

Ixora Flowers

Bermuda grass

Eggplant flowers

Thai elephant can paint.

               

Paint made by elephant

   Wow!!!. I starring at the painting and I could not believe that these elephants have created masterpieces. It took them only 15 minutes to create those beautiful paintings. It would take me more times and less beautiful to make the same kind of images. I saw the 2 years old little one use his little trunk carry a paintbrush, holding his truck while thinking what he should paint next. He looks alike human using hand and think before paint. It is just wow. It is amazing that the elephant can definitely paint.

Customers reserved the paints, the price range from 2000- 6000 Baht

 

You may wonder how their trainers (Mahout) trained them. The first step for the young elephants was to learn to hold the brush in their trunk. Initially, the calves were reluctant to pick up a paint brush and it took more than a month of persistence before the would-be artists.  

The next step for the mahouts was to train them to actually put paint onto paper. Mahout has treated them with care just like they are their giant kids.

                            

Thai Ladies

Thai ladies are  quite tender and gentle by  nature.Thai ladies are always  smiling and hence the name "The Land of Smiles". The lovely smile of the ladies in Thailand reflect good spirit of the poeple in general and happiness around. Since Bangkok is a hub of fashion, most of the Thai ladies always look stylish and are a treat to the eyes.It’s amazing how many  ladies in  their 50s and 60s still wear jeans and look incredible good doing so.


Thai ladies in each region have different appearance and characters.

Bangkokian Lady

Bangkokian Ladies are the most stylish,independant girls with light complextion. Most of them have a Chinese descent background.

Northern Thailand is known as the ‘Region of Beautiful Women and the Ladies here have lighter complexions and are known for their sweet temperament.

Southern ladies have the darkest skin tone with large eyes.They are known for their strong character or being quite spicy.

North Eastern Ladies have an attractive honey tanned- skin tone with the over high cheekbones.According to her beauty and physique.Issarn lady is considered the most attractive to any nationality

North Eastern Lady

Northern Lady

Southern Lady

SAWASDEE KA :-)

I love the "wai"  : Thai greeting

In Western countries people say hello and shake hands.In Thailand we  wai accompanied by a very pleasant "sawadee ka" or "sawadee krap".  It is the most warm, friendly and welcoming greeeting  on earth

How to Wai?  

We place the palms and fingers of both our hands together as in a prayer position in the center of our bodies while bending your head down toward your hands. Keep your fingers close together. Wai is pronounced like the word "why" in English.

Who should we Wai?  The wai is a mark of respect for position and age. For Thais, different levels of the closed hands can show different degrees of respect. The higher the joined hands are held in relation to the face is an indication or more respect or reverence .As a rule, if someone wai you, you should always wai back. However, it is not considered correct to wai children or to wai someone who is thanking you for your patronage. 

Beside Greeting The 'Wai' is also used for

1) Thank you

2) Good Bye 

3) Apologize

4) Praying to the Buddha

In *general* as a tourist it isn't necessary to wai anyone, but to smile and nod respectfully in return.