Western visitors to Thailand invariably come away remarking how superstitious the Thais are. In Thai culture, spirits are always present and must be honored, placated, or, in the case of evil ones, kept at bay. Language is sensed to have great power. Words, and the things they represent, are good or bad luck if they sound like a word with especially positive or negative connotations.

Like in Western culture, three is a lucky number. This is an almost, or perhaps completely, universal superstition. Psychology has given it some scientific credibility by revealing that people remember things most easily if they’re presented in groups of three or seven. This is true no matter which culture the people are from. Nine, being three times three, is triple lucky. In the Thai language, nine is even luckier, because it sounds similar to a word that translates as “move forward,” or, “progress,” and even more similar to the word for rice. The basis of the Thai diet, rice is synonymous with food. License plates containing the numbers nine and three are especially coveted by Thai drivers.

Language also affects which kinds of plants may be grown near a house. The soak tree (Saraka indica) is prohibited because its name is identical to the word for sorrow. Ironically, the tree originally comes from India, where it is called asoka, meaning “sorrowless” in Sanskrit. Tau rang (Caryota mispalmae), a type of palm tree with beautiful but poisonous fruit, is grown as an ornamental tree by Europeans, but avoided by Thais because its name sounds like a word meaning “deserted.” In contrast, the flowers of the rak (Calotropis gigantea), are often made into garlands to be worn by the bride and groom during a wedding, because rak is the same as the word for love.

Some superstitions regarding trees have to do with their spiritual aspects rather than their names. The saraphi, phikun, and chan trees are grown around temples. They have an aura of sacredness associated with them, which makes it a sacrilege to plant them in a housing compound. It is believed that anyone who does will experience ill fortune as a result. The po (Ficus religiosa) is likewise sacred; it is the tree Buddha was sitting under when he became enlightened. While revered, it is not grown near homes. Forest trees are considered the homes of spirits. Thais are reluctant to cut them down, for fear of displacing the spirit and earning its displeasure. They will not cut down very big trees at all, and cut smaller ones only after making offerings and apologies to the spirits.

The omnipresence of spirits is at the root of Thai naming practices. At birth, each baby is given an official name, which goes on the birth certificate and other legal documents. Always two syllables or longer, the names have positive meanings. But in day to day life, Thais are called by one syllable nicknames, which are also conferred at birth. Typically, those names have neutral or even negative meanings, like “short” or “fat.” This is done to confuse evil spirits who might be seeking to harm the baby. Presumably, the spirit will be looking for the child with the nice, fortuitous name, and will think the child with the short, plain name is someone else.

Also with confusing evil spirits in mind, if twins are born, the older twin will be called the younger one, and vice versa. If a baby, or even an older child, is considered beautiful, no one will say that for fear of attracting the spirits. Instead, they’ll say, “What an ugly child!” Similarly, a child who shows great intelligence may be called stupid, so as to deflect the spirits’ attention.

Evil spirits are considered to be the souls of dead people who have failed to reincarnate. In contrast, there are also spirits attached to land and spirits attached to homes. The land spirits have been there since before humans came, and they must be respected, but they are not considered harmful. To honor the land spirits, spirit houses, which resemble small pagodas, are built outside every building in Thailand, and offerings made there on a daily basis. Home spirits are considered to be the souls of ancestors who remain to look after the family. Typically, an altar is kept for them somewhere in the house, and offerings made there as well.

In further respect of the spirits, Thais are told not to eat candy that has been dropped on the floor, because it belongs to the spirits. Putting away valuables at night (but presumably, not during daylight) makes them noticeable to ghosts, who will steal them. Looking between your legs is a way to see ghosts, and not recommended. Children are warned that evil spirits are attracted to trouble, so if they misbehave or call too much attention to themselves, they will draw in ghosts. Many more superstitions abound, regulating everything from how to eat to what to wear to how to clean.

These superstitions may seem silly, but if we accept the premise that spirits are everywhere and must be respected, the idea that things must be done with spirits in mind makes more sense. This is a difficult concept for most Westerners to grasp, because our cultures have a different worldview behind them, with little place for spirits. However, similar views were once common in the West as well, and our commonly held superstitions have their roots in those times. The need to honor the spirits of land and ancestors has existed in all human cultures in the past, even if it has faded away in some. In Thailand, that sense remains strong to this day.

Sources:

http://www.thaizer.com/culture-shock/superstitions-in-thailand/

http://www.thailandlife.com/flowers_001.htm

http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11641

http://www.thai-blogs.com/index.php/2005/06/28/random_thai_superstitions?blog=5