Thai folklore

A thread is tied around the sticks forming a protective square and a mat is spread in the middle, where the mo phi sits down.

In front of him, outside of the square there is a mo khao terracotta jar with a yantra painted on the outside containing the ashes or bones of the dead person.

In order to bring luck and provide protection, yants are also drawn in the receptions of multinational companies, the entrances of supermarkets, and the interiors of taxis, trucks, and airplanes.

These include printed pieces of cloth of fish-shaped figures, as well as streamers or framed pictures of a crocodile or of Suvannamaccha, the mermaid character of the Siamese version of the Ramayana.

[1] Superstitions of the Thai people include: Spirits or ghosts are known generically as phi (ผี) and they may be found, among other places, in certain trees, burial grounds near Buddhist temples, some houses, as well as mountains and forests.

Phraya Anuman Rajadhon established that most of the contemporary iconography of folk ghosts[7][8][9] has its origins in Thai films that have become classics.

[10] Most of the spirits or ghosts are so popular they appear regularly in comic books as well as in films, including the Nak animated movie for children.

The most well-known are the following: Some traditional celebrations, including Buddhist festivals, provide an opportunity for the expression of local folk beliefs.

The stories of the spirit world taught children to be cautious, to stay at home at night, and to respect customs regarding death rituals and the importance of offerings.

These Jatakas have been often retold, abridged, and adapted to fit local culture in Southeast Asian countries, such as Thailand, Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

Many figures of the Buddhist tradition have been fully incorporated into Thai lore, among these are the yaksa (ยักษ์), ogres (yaksha), and ogresses (Pali: Yakkhini), the tall and scary Prets (เปรต),[16] Ongkhuliman (องคุลิมาล), the violent criminal named after the garland of the fingers of his victims he wore around his neck, as well as Nariphon, the mythical tree of Buddhist literature bearing fruits in the shape of young girls.

Nak (นาค), Nagas figure in some stories of local folklore and are represented as well in Buddhist temples as architectural elements.

Worshippers can obtain an amulets or Thai Buddhist monk blessing by simply donating money or offering oil to the temple.