It seems that the only custom that most foreigners know of Thailand is the “Wai” gesture where both palms are pressed together to greet or to show respect. Common – but there is so much more!
Thailand is rich in folklore and tradition, and I felt it my duty to explore them at my own peril. What I’m about to tell you is not something off the internet, so rest assured these are authentic stories and read on.
Thai superstition culture largely revolves around the big G word, so I’ll start light and move on to the intense stuff.
Like the Chinese, Thai people do not sweep the floor at night as they believe the fortune will be swept away. Actually, there are a number of things deemed inappropriate for the night. Some are out of logical concerns, some are purely superstitious. Among them include playing hide and seek, cutting fingernails, and looking behind between the legs. Your wild imaginations have a legitimate place in Thailand.
Thai people do not get their hair cut on a Wednesday because there is bad luck in the alphabet. If you eat the last bit of a dish, you may potentially get a beautiful companion. Gifts are great – but not a handkerchief or a pair of shoes. A handkerchief may indicate that your lover will cry aplenty, and shoes dictate that your lover will leave you by walking away.
You probably have already known most of the superstitions I mentioned earlier, so read on for the real deal.
This paragraph relates to food. Never flip an entire fish to eat its other side otherwise a fisherman’s boat may also flip at sea. If you should so desire to be a serpent in your next life, you may try eating while lying on your back. Snakes are known to be lazy creatures – just in case you didn’t get it. Here’s the popular one Asian parents love to say: “If you play with food, you will have none in the future.”
Refrain from wearing black when visiting a sickly person as you may be cursing their health to further decline. The barn owl is never welcome in a Thai home because it is usually an indication that death will occur in the family. I personally think the barn owl is adorable.
New property and cars should be blessed by a Buddhist monk for good luck, which can also be acquired in the manifestation of a bee hive or around the house. When a criminal is released from prison, he or she should walk backwards, so as never to enter again. A pregnant woman must always finish what she starts, otherwise she may experience a difficult birth. It is believed that if a son becomes a monk, the parents will go to heaven.
Thais believe that the mirror connects people to the spirit dimension, so never eat an apple in front of one at midnight. Infants will not be brought to attend funerals because they may see the supernatural. When a Thai person becomes deceased, a coin will be put into their mouth so as to pay for the journey to heaven, or hell. If he or she dies away from home, coins will also be laid out on the ground to lure the spirit home.
And now you know how they make such excellent horror movies.
Bonnie Teh, 23, currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Journalism at Monash University. Has I'm-gonna-take-on-the-world days and no-mood-for-small-talks-day.
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