8 famous Thai ghosts, explained with modern examples

Ghosts and spirits are woven into the very fabric of Thai people’s lives. Some of them are good–think, the ones that gave you the numbers to win the lottery–and some of them are, well, bad, placing curses or haunting you for trivial to no reasons. There are so many Thai ghost stories and ghost legends that have been passed down from generation to generation. And what better to review them Here’s the anthology of Thai ghosts, explained with contemporary references. 

Thai ghosts explained with modern examples

Mae Ya Nang

Imagine this sweet spirit lady as your personal car insurance. Originally, her role was to help Thai people have a safe boat trip in ancient times. But since people rarely commute by boat anymore, even the spirits need to seek new roles to maintain their relevance. Would Elon Musk’s 2 million baht Tesla Model 3 also have Mae Ya Nang? Who knows? Perhaps Mae Ya Nang would receive her big upgrades with cybernetic enhancements.

Nang Kwak

Everything in Thailand–whether animate or inanimate–can be bribed. The spirits are no exception. One of those is the female spirit Nang Kwak, a patron deity to merchants. People believe her presence could help gather customers for them. Good news is you don’t have to actually pay her with money. All you need is a bottle of red Fanta. Why red, you ask? It’s because the colour resembles blood. 

Kumarn Thong (Golden Child)

Remember the time when the Japanese handheld digital pet Tamagotchi was popular? This child spirit kinda follows the very concept: you feed him (or her/them), play with them, or even interact with them. The only difference is Kumarn Thong is also believed to help you do your biddings, like protecting the house and harassing your enemies or bosses.  

Pret

If Japan has their kaijuu monsters–think skyscraper-high lizards or island-sized butterflies–this Thai spirit can compete with them on the scale of height. But in terms of strength? Not so much. Not only is it extremely bony and thin, Pret has a tiny mouth the size of needle’s eye, which may put it at disadvantage when it has to fight with other monsters. Still, this famous Thai ghost has a massive palm-leaf-like hand. The reasons for all this? It’s because they are cursed from their sins of yelling at their parents and hitting them. So don’t talk back to your mum next time, okay? 

Tanee

Like Japanese people, Thai people do share a belief in spiritual animism, meaning sometimes objects, trees, mountains, or rivers can be imbued with spirits and manifest themselves in anthropomorphic form. Tanee is one of these spirits. Her usual spot is a banana tree where she is dressed in a greenish traditional Thai costume. Despite her somewhat old-fashioned costume, it is believed that a man usually cannot resist her charm and will usually ask for her hand in marriage in three days. If he treats her badly, she will kill him. In short, she’s your usual crazy ex but dressed with banana themes. 

Mae Nark

Next we have Mae Nark, whose presence has contributed so much to the Thai film industry, considering we already have 20 versions of her films with notable mentions like Mae Nark invades Tokyo or American spin-off version Mae Nark America. The story has a formulaic appeal: A young couple gets married, the husband gets recruited by the military, the wife dies while giving birth to her son, and then the wife turns into a spirit to haunt people. Still, Thai people do revere her as they believe she can help people when men have to draw the lotto for military conscription.   

Krasue and Krahang

Thai people didn’t start their shipping ritual just because we have BL series. Thai people also shipped spirits together like in the case of this pair of Thai ghosts: Krasue and Krahang. Krasue usually lives her life normally by day, but by night she would detach her head from her body to devour the gut of people and animals, and can also infect this curse onto other females in the village. Krahang, on the other hand, is a male spirit that usually appears in the same area with the former. However, unlike Krasue, Krahang cannot fly without his large winnowing baskets.

FAQ

What is the most famous Thai ghost?

Mae Nark

What is the most famous haunted house in Thailand?

Ripley’s Believe It or Not Pattaya