The Top Thai Superstitions

The Top Thai Superstitions

The Thais are a highly superstitious bunch, with a seemingly endless and diverse list of beliefs.

Certainly people born in Thailand grow up surrounded by superstitious tales and taboos, and many of them are likely to seek the advice of monks and fortune tellers before making important decisions such as buying a house, getting married or moving to a different location.

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Some of these superstitious ideas stem from long ago in the past but are still believed to be true, and many involve ghosts or bad luck. Others are referred to in good humour, and many are simply stated as fact.

Quite a few Thai superstitions are old wives’ tales not dissimilar to those in other countries, yet there are plenty with their roots in animist beliefs.

Many existing beliefs come from past times when imaginations were rich but scientific proof was limited. Some are folk beliefs designed to increase social harmony, perhaps encourage the tendency towards clean living, or reaffirm social expectations. But many just seem bizarre and hark back to people’s thought patterns hundreds of years back.

It’s fair to say that even when surrounded by modern skyscrapers, sophisticated technology, and shifting societal views, a large proportion of people in Thailand are still fairly blinded by what might seem to an outsider as a long list of old wives’ tales.

They certainly have an unwavering belief in the existence of surrounding spirits, and this is apparent everywhere in Thailand where animism and folk beliefs are deeply infused with their own ‘version’ of Buddhism.

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It is further reinforced by the many spirit houses dotted around all over the place in prominent places, as well as the amulets whose wearers believe make them close to bullet-proof.

Most buildings boast a ‘spirit house’ — a shrine placed in an auspicious corner of a property. Offerings are made by both owners and tenants with the intention of keeping any ghosts or spirits happy in the hope of any good fortune and protection that they may infer, or to avoid any possibility of them turning malevolent.

It is no secret that even those involved Thailand’s notoriously fragmented political landscape also look to the occult. Many politicians make decisions according to astrology, spells, beliefs superstitions, or advice from fortune tellers or monks. 

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In fact, for many of Thailand’s soothsayers and astrologers, as well as the monastic elements involved, belief in the superstitious is lucrative, to say the least. Thailand is indeed a culture with an inherent superstition. Many critics in recent years, which has increasingly come to include the younger generations, say this is holding the nation back.

There is also an immense reliance on the various aspects of particular numbers, which again is something taken quite seriously by many people.

So let’s have a closer look at the top superstitions in Thailand, which give some insights into the culture and lifestyle of the people.

Don’t Sing When Cooking or Eating

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This sounds something like an old wives’ tale, but apparently if you are female and you happen to break into song while preparing a meal, there is every chance you’ll get an old husband.

This belief was apparently formulated and used to scare women who feared they would end up with an ancient husband, particularly if they had the habit of singing while working in the kitchen, as they did in the past. This often meant they got distracted, which resulted in them burning or spoiling the food or even having some kind of accident.

Don’t Eat When Lying Down

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Everyone knows that snakes can’t enjoy a good meal while seated at a table right?

So guess what, if you eat your meal while lounging or lying down, you are tempting fate. It’s then highly possible that you’ll turn into a snake. Or at the very least you will come back as a snake in the next life.

Don’t Sweep the Floor at Night

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Apparently the late evening is just not the time for doing a spot of floor sweeping. The believe on this one is that you’ll sweep out any good luck or karma that you have built up throughout the day, or even lose any money that you may have earned.

There Are Good and Bad Days for a Haircut

You might notice on any trip to Thailand that most hairdressers are closed on a Wednesday and not just by chance.

Thais believe it is not only bad luck to have your haircut on a Wednesday. There are a few suggested reasons for this, with one of them being that members of the royal family had their hair cut on Wednesdays and it was therefore not allowed for common people to follow suit.

Don’t Call a Baby Beautiful

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Before you do the usual thing and start telling Thai parents how adorable their new babies are, consider the superstition that if you call a baby cute it will be taken away by a ghost.

So apparently the thing to do is to protect the baby by saying how ‘ugly and unpleasant’ it is as a preventative measure This comes from one of the old countryside folk tales that tells of ghosts stealing away the toddlers who are referred to as cute.

As a side not, it is also believed that if a pregnant woman attends a funeral her baby will be haunted by the spirit of the dead person once it is born.

Beware Bird Poop

If you are heading out for the day and a bird’s poop happens to land on your head, beware.

The rest of your day is bound to be doomed, apparently, so it may be better to stay home. This could be one of the reasons you are likely to see Thais carrying an umbrella even when it is not raining, aside from shielding themselves from the skin-darkening.

Heed the Gecko

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It’s not just birds and their poop that you need to look out for in a morning.

If a gecko, the small variety of lizard that is everywhere in Thailand, calls out to you from wherever it may be lurking — or even worse jumps or falls in front of you – you’d better cancel your travel plans.

Zebra Statues Can Prevent Traffic Accidents

Zebra statues are a common sight at common accident spots in Thailand. This is due to the belief that their stripes — which allude to pedestrian crossings — will prevent any unhappy or potentially perilous ghosts of previous traffic victims to cause new crashes.

A common criticism in the country by members of society is that Thais would rather put their faith in statues, amulets, and spirits than take actual steps to reduce risk, like driving more safely.

With that in mind it is worth noting that Thailand has the second-highest traffic fatality rate in the world, with 44 deaths per 100,000 people, according to a study done in recent years.

Some Numbers Are Good/Bad Luck

Numbers hold an integral part of every culture around the world, and they have quite a lot of significance in Thailand.

The number 9 is a good number, and is often considered a good sign for success in the future. In fact many Thais believe this to be the luckiest number there is, so don’t be surprised to learn that the number plate ‘9999′ is worth more than any other in the country.

The number three is also considered to be lucky, as three times three is nine. The number 13 is considered so unlucky that it is actually usually missing in Thailand, and in elevators you’ll see this number replaced by ‘12A’.

Take Heed of Twitches

You know when you get that tick or twitch over one of your eyes? Well you’d better pay attention to it according to Thai lore.

You can count your blessings if it is your left eye that twitches, as this signals good luck, but if your right eye twitches it is likely to be the opposite.

Think Carefully When buying a Car

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When you think about the connection to numbers (as well as colours), it is not surprising that buying a new car in Thailand can be a complicated affair.

The first thing to consider is going to be the date of purchase, and whether it is auspicious, as well as the numbers contained within it. The number plate should also contain some auspicious numbers, so 3 and 9 are good. 

The colour is also meaningful in terms of luck and protection, and once the car has been purchased, it might be an idea to get a monk to hold a ceremony to bless the car.

Choose Your Colours Carefully

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On the subject of colours, anyone who has ever been to a ceremony or worked abroad in a Thai school will know how specific colours of clothes determine certain days. In fact, there is even a chart that states what colour is acceptable and auspicious for each day in the week.

To give some insight into that and just to make things even more complex, red is considered lucky on Sundays, but it should be avoided on Mondays! Black is linked to mourning and funerals, and so should be avoided in certain situations.