ASIA MAIOR 2010: Ripresa economica, conflitti sociali e tensioni geopolitiche in Asia Asia Maior Osservatorio italiano sull’Asia a cura

E' uscito l'ultimo volume di Asia Maior: "Ripresa economica, conflitti sociali e tensioni geopolitiche in Asia" i curatori del volume sono Michelguglielmo Torri e Nicola Mocci. Il testo contiene un'analisi approfondita e puntuale degli aspetti geo-politici dei paesi asiatici dell'ultimo anno.
Per la seconda volta la Thailandia è stata trattata da Monica Ceccarelli.
N.B.: cliccando sul titolo del volume è possibile scaricarlo interamente in formato .pdf

L'INDIFFERENZA DELL'OCCIDENTE

da Asia News
29/08/2008 08:41
THAILANDIA
Cede la tregua, scontri fra manifestanti e polizia in Thailandia
Gli attivisti del Movimento popolare per la democrazia (Pad) non abbandonano gli edifici governativi occupati e continuano a chiedere le dimissioni del premier, il quale aveva annunciato ieri di non voler ricorrere all’uso “della forza”. Eseguiti 15 arresti e aperti tre varchi di accesso alla zona occupata.

Bangkok (AsiaNews/Agenzie) – È durata poco la tregua fra polizia e manifestanti, asserragliati da giorni nella zona del distretto governativo per chiedere le dimissioni del premier Samak Sundaravej. Gli scontri sono divampati oggi in seguito al tentativo delle forze dell’ordine di eseguire un ordine della procura thailandese, che intimava ai manifestanti di abbandonare gli edifici occupati. I dimostranti hanno reagito alle cariche della polizia, la quale non ha ancora adottato “tutti i mezzi disponibili” per scacciare le decine di migliaia di esponenti del People’s Alliance for Democracy (Pad).

I manifestanti invocano le dimissioni del Primo ministro accusato di essere un “fantoccio” nelle mani dell’ex premier Thaksin Shinawatra in esilio a Londra, che, affermano, trama da lontano per trasformare la monarchia in una repubblica. Non si hanno al momento notizie di feriti, mentre sembra che le forze dell’ordine abbiano eseguito 15 arresti e siano riuscite ad aprire tre varchi di accesso agli edifici governativi.

Ieri il capo del governo aveva annunciato di “non voler ricorrere all’uso della forza” per disperdere i manifestanti, accusandoli al contempo di volere “un bagno di sangue” nel Paese e di appoggiare “un nuovo colpo di Stato da parte dei militari”. Dal canto loro, gli attivisti del Pad hanno ribadito che abbandoneranno gli edifici occupati solo nel momento in cui il premier Samak “annuncerà le proprie dimissioni”. Il Primo ministro ribatte che è stato eletto in maniera “legittima” in seguito alla tornata elettorale dello scorso dicembre e, secondo alcuni analisti, godrebbe ancora oggi dei consensi della maggioranza dei thailandesi.

RE BHUMIPOL COMPIE 80 ANNI CHAI YO!

"La fotografia che è in tutte le case"


Il re che suona il suo jazz con Benny Goodmann

Photos and live music by Benny Goodman about the great king of Thailand.we love him and we want to let you know.
more about king go to http://www.bangkokpost.net/king/
By nikornplay (less)

THAI LOY KRATHONG

Il plenilunio di novembre è la data del LOY KRATHONG una delle feste più suggestive del paese, tutti i Thai preparano il proprio krathong da lasciare nell'acqua dei fiumi, depositandovi una candelina accesa, un bastoncino di incenso acceso, una monetina, un pezzetto di unghia o piccolo ciuffo di capelli...più il krathong si allontana velocemente più porterà fortuna, allontanando la cattiva sorte...



La traduzione della canzone che accompagna tutta la festa:

November full moon shines
Loy Krathong Loy Krathong
And the wryer high in the golden river
And the klongs
Loy Loy Krathong Loy Loy Krathong
Loy Krathong each year
Everybody full of cheer
We're together at the klong
Each one with krathong
As we put away we pray
We'll have a better day...

PER NON DIMENTICARE

Traduzione in inglese:
Wipe Your Tears Andaman
Never a thought, could not imagine. No chance to prepare.
Overcast skies, trembling earth.
Never experienced, never seen. Never given it a thought.
What is a Tsunami? I only know Sasimi.

It came as Death. Swooping in destroying the beach.
It crushed everything into ruins... Tsunami

Never considered, never counted. So many dead bodies.
The earth is crying over the merciless sea.
No matter who, no matter from where. No one was spared.
Against the force of nature, man is just but a grain of sand.

It came as Death. Swooping in destroying the beach.
It crushed everything into ruins... Tsunami

Andaman, heaven on earth
Separation, it must be fate
Andaman, paradise taken by surprise

Bring your support. Wipe your tears Andaman.
Bring your support. Wipe your tears Andaman.

Ooh, ooh, Tsunami

Translation: Guava

Trascrizione in caratteri latini:

sap naam taa andaaman
mai khoei khit mai khoei fan mai than tang tua
thoong faa meut mua phaen din leuan lan san wai
mai khoei phop mai khoei hen mai khoei sonjai
suunaami kheu arai ruujak tae saasimi

man maa dang matjuraat thum thoom soom sai chaai haat
man kwaat thuk sing phinaat suunaami

mai khoei neuk mai khoei nap sap sop maak maai
phaen din ram hai phaen naam yai leuat yen
mai waa khrai mai waa chaat nai mai mii khoo yok wen
thammachaat theu kot keen manut thiap thao met saai

man maa dang matjuraat thum thoom soom sai chaai haat
man kwaat thuk sing phinaat suunaami

andaaman sawan bon look wilai
tong wippayook khrang ying yai
nii kheu chataakam

andaaman sawan mai than triam kaai
lai pai thoe thaan naam jai
sap naam taa andaaman

lai pai thoe thaan naam jai
sap naam taa andaaman
ooi ooi suunaami

Testo in Thai:

ซับน้ำตาอันดามัน
ไม่เคยคิด ไม่เคยฝัน ไม่ทันตั้งตัว
ท้องฟ้ามืดมัว แผ่นดินเลื่อนลั่นสั่นไหว
ไม่เคยพบ ไม่เคยเห็น ไม่เคยสนใจ
ซูนามิ คืออะไร รู้จักแต่ซาซิมิ

มันมาดั่งมัจจุราช ทุ่มโถมโทรมใส่ชายหาด
มันกวาดทุกสิ่งพินาศ... ซูนามิ

ไม่เคยนึก ไม่เคยนับ สรรพศพมากมาย
แผ่นดินร่ำไห้ แผ่นน้ำใยเลือดเย็น
ไม่ว่าใคร ไม่ว่าชาติไหน ไม่มีข้อยกเว้น
ธรรมชาติถือกฎเกณฑ์ มนุษย์เทียบเท่าเม็ดทราย

มันมาดั่งมัจจุราช มันโถมทุ่มใส่ชายหาด
มันกวาดทุกสิ่งพินาศ... ซูนามิ

อันดามัน สวรรค์บนโลกวิไลซ์
ต้องวิปโยคครั้งยิ่งใหญ่
นี่คือชะตากรรม

อันดามัน สวรรค์ไม่ทันเตรียมกาย
ไหลไปเถอะธารน้ำใจ
ซับน้ำตาอันดามัน

ไหลไปเถอะธารน้ำใจ
ซับน้ำตาอันดามัน
โอ๊ย… โอย ซูนามิ

L'angelo dell'AIDS è Tailandese. Una gran bella storia

Thailand's Aids angel

Thanks to Krisana Kraisintu, Thailand became the first country to
create generic HIV drugs. Now she's teaching the world how to make them, but she
still hasn't got credit at home
Published on July 12,
2007
In late 2002 Krisana Kraisintu quit her job at the
Government Pharmaceutical Organisation and headed for the war-torn Democratic
Republic of Congo. She knew how to make GPO-Vir - one of the cheapest drug
treatments for HIV/Aids - and vowed that she wouldn't rest until every African
nation could do the same.
Now 55, she's still there in the sub-Sahara,
roaming from place to place in a bid to honour that promise.
With the
backing of German medical-aid organisation Action Medeo, Krisana has achieved
her goal in Congo and Tanzania. Both hit hard by HIV/Aids, they are now making
their own generic drugs to treat the virus, as well as malaria.
Krisana is
currently in Zambia training technicians to do the same. She wants it to be the
third country on her success list, followed by Ethiopia.
"When I look into
the eyes of African children, I see their hope," she tells The Nation during a
brief visit home. "I just can't detach myself from the region."
Born on Koh
Samui to a family of doctors, Krisana earned a bachelors degree in pharmacy at
Chiang Mai University and completed her doctorate in pharmaceutical chemistry at
Bath University in England.
She spent 22 years with the government agency,
establishing a Research and Development Institute, of which she became the first
director.
Krisana and her team made great strides. In 1995 they completed
the first generic version of AZT, the anti-retroviral drug. Sold to the Health
Ministry to prevent mother-to-child transmission, it made Thailand the first
developing nation to give the world a generic Aids drug.
Then in April 2002
came GPO-Vir, a single-pill combination of three Aids drugs - lamivudine,
stavudine and nevirapine.
Unfortunately, Krisana says, there was little
executive support for her work at the organisation. "They didn't believe we
could produce our own generic Aids drugs with our limited budget."
She found
the way, and did everything on her own - from research and buying the raw
materials to manufacturing and packaging.
"The good thing about being left
to work alone was that I got to know every step in the process, from laboratory
to market, and these are the knowledge and skills I'm transferring to the
Africans," she says.
Before she created GPO-Vir, tens of thousands of people
died simply because they couldn't afford patented Aids treatments. As many lives
have since been saved by GPO-Vir, not only in Thailand, but also Cambodia, Laos
and Vietnam.
Thai health authorities had previously been unable to provide
treatment to people with HIV because of the high drug prices, confirms Dr
Sanguan Nittayarampong, secretary general of the National Health Office.
Though he doesn't know Krisana personally, Sanguan credits her for the
success of the government's universal health scheme in providing Aids treatment.
"She saves a lot people. The death rate among Aids patients has dramatically
decreased."
Kannikar Kijtiwatchakul, who works in the Bangkok office of
Medicins Sans Frontiers (Doctors Without Borders), is equally appreciative.
"What she has done benefits not only Thais but the whole world, and the
developing countries in particular. Unlike the big drug firms, she never wanted
to monopolise the rights over the drugs she developed. The only thing she wants
is to give poor countries access to the drugs."
Thailand's success in
developing GPO-Vir showed other developing countries that they could produce
their own versions of Aids drugs, Kannikar adds.
Making the drugs, Krisana
discovered for herself and now repeats everywhere she goes, is not as expensive
as the major drug firms claim. She doesn't speak the same language as the drug
corporations - they talk in terms of profits, while Krisana addresses humanity.
She fully supports the decision of the Public Health Ministry to impose
compulsory licences on three expensive, patented drugs, two of which are used to
treat Aids.
"Life-saving drugs should be affordable for all," she says,
adding that she's mystified why the ministry is still negotiating with drug
firms to lower their prices now that licences have been imposed.
Having
witnessed the decline in Aids-related deaths in Thailand, Krisana decided it was
time to help elsewhere.
"In Africa, no one believed they could produce their
own drugs," she says.
Aids activists have dubbed her "the gypsy warrior" - a
name picked up by interna-tional news media.
In 2002, Krisana says, only 15
per cent of Africans living with HIV/Aids had access to the drugs. By 2005, 65
per cent could afford treatment, thanks to their own, locally made versions of
the drugs.
Her work is not easy, and it took her months to adjust to the
climate and other conditions. During her first few months in Congo she was
unable to use the tap water due to an allergic reaction. She had to cleanse her
face with soda water and wash her feet with Fanta pop.
Wherever language was
a problem, Krisana, who speaks English, relied on her art skills, drawing
pictures of what she wanted. "Sometimes I drew a fish and they still served me
chicken," she laughs.
The difficulties weren't always funny. One night in
2002, driving into Lagos from its airport, 90 minutes outside the Nigerian
capital, she was stopped by a group of gun-toting men in uniform. She was
ordered out of the car and interrogated.
The same thing happened four more
times that night, a different armed squad each time. Fortunately the men asked
only questions, not for any money, which she could ill afford to lose.
For
her troubles and her victories, Krisana received the Letten Foundation's 2004
Global Scientific Award, and the following year she got a Reminders Day award
from an Aids organisation.
Stories about her have appeared in the New York
Times, Germany's Der Spiegel and France's Le Figaro. This past spring her battle
against the corporate giants was the subject of a play called "Cocktail" that
was performed at Louisiana State University.
The play looked at her struggle
to sway the Thai government as well but, having overcome official doubt and
shown the way forward, Krisana has still not received any accolades in her
homeland.
"I heard that she was nominated for a pharmaceutical-related
award, but I don't know why the government hasn't recognised her," says activist
Kannikar.
Krisana, it goes without saying, isn't interested in awards. She
set her own goal - access for all - and she's still trying to achieve it in
Africa.
Pennapa Hongthong
The Nation

GIORNI TAILANDESI 2

Non saprei come definirli, non perchè non sia facile dire che erano duri, piuttosto perchè sono stati duri tanti altri giorni nel corso del tempo e quindi dire che quelli erano duri sembra significare che poi non ci siano state durezze. Di sicuro nei primi giorni sei ripiegato su te stesso a lottare con la nostalgia, senza riuscire ancora a trovare la meraviglia della nuova situazione. Gli impatti sono tanti, il primo disagio sono le zanzare di dimensioni e quantità mai viste prime...non riesco minimamente a resistere alla tentazione di grattarmi, con il risultato che in pochi giorni i miei piedi sono pieni di infezioni! e dopo neanche una settimana sono colpita anche da "ta-dem" tradotto letteralmente è "occhio rosso", ovvero una congiuntivite virale micidiale qualcosa di indescrivibile e di inguardabile, infatti per tutto il tempo in cui ne sono colpita evito accuratamente di guardarmi allo specchio per non angosciarmi. Così ad una settimana esatta dal mio arrivo ho il primo contatto con l'ospedale di Lamsai, da noi tutti sempre soprannominato "la macelleria"! Insieme con me vengono anche alcuni bambini, alcuni con la congiuntivite e uno perchè ha la febbre che non si riesce a farla scendere. Ci visitano insieme nella stessa stanza, per lui il medico prescrive non so che farmaco da somministrare con intramuscolo, così vedo che tirano fuori un attrezzo che pensavo ormai si trovasse soltanto nei mercati di modernariato o nei musei: una siringa in vetro con la sua scatola in metallo per la bollitura... Realizzo per un attimo che potrebbero decidere di farmi una qualche iniezione anche a me e progetto di fuggire all'istante se ci provano... In realtà si limitano a medicare i piedi praticamente piagati e a prescrivermi una pomata al cortisone per gli occhi. La sera di quel venerdì arriverà padre Bernard lo accoglierò con tutti e due gli occhi bendati, con l'unica raccomandazione di non dire niente a mia madre quando la vedrà!

Giorni tailandesi 1

Sono arrivata in Tailandia il 1 luglio del 1994, era un venerdì... il primo impatto quando arrivi a Bangkok (che in realtà si chiama Krungtheep) lo hai nel momento in cui si aprono le porte scorrevoli dell'areoporto Don Muang... Dopo quasi undici ore di aria pressurizzata dell'aereo, dopo almeno un ora, tra controllo passaporti e ritiro bagagli, nell'aria condizionata si aprono le porte e la prima sensazione che hai è che ti abbiano tirato un secchio di acqua calda addosso, tanto l'aria è calda, umida e appiccicosa. In un servizio "rai" un giornalista la definì una autentica marmellata di smog e sostanze tossiche. Quando arrivammo insieme agli altri volontari, la macchina della Comunità non era ancora arrivata, Eddie si informò al telefono, probabilmente erano bloccati nel traffico... Il traffico è il secondo impatto, in primo luogo sei disorientato perchè la guida è all'inglese, così non sai mai da che parte devi salire, poi, visto il tipo di esami che si fanno per prendere la patente non è detto che chi sia al volante sia qualcuno che abbia la minima cognizione del codice della strada. Nel ricordo quel primo viaggio dall'aereoporto a Lamsai è lunghissimo, ma in realtà non durò quell'eternità, calò il sole è vero, ma lì tramonta sempre verso le 18.30. Ricordo che nonostante la curiosità di vedere da cosa sarei stata circondata da lì in avanti, ad un certo punto mi addormentai, quando riaprìi gli occhi eravamo in una strada secondaria, una scorciatoia case che allora mi sembrarono poverissime, ma poi imparai che non lo erano (ma tutto è relativo) e soprattutto a colpirmi fu la sporcizia, il fango, eravamo nella stagione delle piogge...

Arrivati al centro, non riuscivo a rendermi conto delle dimensioni, delle strutture, era buio, ero frastornata. Ci accolse Giovanni, presentando le scuse di Tonino che era dovuto andare a Mae sot, ma il giorno dopo sarebbe tornato.

Mi accompagnarono al centro dei bambini più piccoli, il mio centro, per arrivarci dovevamo passare davanti a quello dei pre adolescenti, mi venne incontro Franco, che subito mi chiese il quotidiano che avevo in mano "sai qui ne arrivano talmente pochi", ed io che ne leggevo almeno due al giorno?!

Lamsai...

Click to Play

Oggi finalmente ho trovato su google earth il luogo dove ho vissuto quasi nove anni...fa uno strano effetto riconoscere luoghi distanti oltre 10000 chilometri e distanti nella memoria, ma presenti, stratificati nel vissuto quotidiano, incancellabili, purtroppo o per fortuna!?

Come musica ho scelto "Made in Thailand" dei Carabao, il gruppo più estremo tailandese, il testo è contro la mania esterofila dei tailandesi che considerano cool solo quanto prodotto all'estero. Mentre i "farang", gli stranieri occidentali non conoscono niente della Tailandia , e non sanno rispettare la storia, la cultura, la dignità del paese... La canzone ha almeno venti anni ma mi sembra assolutamente attuale.

Io non sono più farang. Io ho due patrie e forse non so più vivere in nessuna delle due...

Petizione contro la censura

Il Movimento per il libero cinema Thai ha promosso una petizione contro la censura applicata dalle autorità al film di Apichatpong Weerasethakul :“Sang Satawat” (“Syndromes and a Century”), acclamato non solo a Venezia come un autentico capolavoro... Cliccando sul collegamento si apre la pagina della petizione, non spaventatevi sotto alla versione in thai trovate la traduzione in inglese, se siete d'accordo potete sottoscriverla, finora sono l'unica italiana spero di vedere presto altri connazionali tra i firmatari:
http://www.petitiononline.com/nocut/petition.html

Songkran capodanno tailandese

Click to Play

Il capodanno in Tailandia cade il 15 aprile giorno in cui si festeggia il Songkran. E' la festa più importante per il paese, in questa occasione gli emigrati tornano per onorare i propri familiari e tutto il paese si ferma per tre giorni di festeggiamenti. La festa prevede una ritualità familiare in cui i figli rendono omaggio agli anziani della famiglia inginocchiandosi davanti a loro, quindi vengono benedetti anche con dell'acqua benedetta versata sulla testa...

... ma oltre a questa c'è la FESTA per le strade: per tre giorni (ma a Chiang Mai anche una settimana) tutti tirano acqua a tutti, a volte mischiata con borotalco... Quest'anno le autorità hanno raccomandato alle ragazze di non fare come l'anno scorso e di evitare di indossare abiti che una volta bagnati traspariscano!

Thai Humour

I tailandesi si sono offesi a causa di un video blasfemo pubblicato su You Tube nel quale viene sbeffeggiato Re Bhumipol. Così ora dalla Tailandia non si può accedere a You Tube, ma infuria la polemica sulla censura. Su un giornale è comparsa questa vignetta.

Thai Reportage

Click to Play

Siete avvisati...il filmato dura oltre quaranta minuti e soprattutto andrebbe rimontato ma ancora non sono riuscita a trovare il tempo necessario...

Thai ghosts da www.thaiworldwiew.com

Thai Buddhism is impregnated by ghosts stories coming from Buddhist legends. But it is also impregnated by ghosts stories and beliefs coming from ancient religions (Hinduism, Brahmanism) present before Buddhism in Thailand. There is a belief into two kinds of Thai ghosts and spirits :
Ghosts linked to the Nature and its elements (air, earth, fire and water)
ghosts linked to Buddhist beliefs and legends
Thai people are really afraid of ghosts ("PHI" - ผี). No joke should be said about them otherwise they might come. Anyway numerous Thai magazines about ghosts and spirits are available in Thai bookshops.

Spirits and nature
ศาลพระภุมูมิ or "SAN PHRA PHUM" means "the house of spirits".
Every Thai house has a house of spirits. The spirit house size is related to the owner's house. The biggest it is, the biggest the spirit house shall be. Every morning the owner of the house shall feed the spirits. It was mandatory to install a spirit house when building a new house. In fact the house is made for the spirit of the land. It calms the spirit and assure good blessings for the owner of the house.
Everywhere in Thailand, spirit houses can be seen. Food, drinks and also little figurines representing servants, dancers, elephants, cars are given to the spirit of the land. The dancers shall entertain him. The elephant shall transport him.

Spirit House
A spirit house must not be in the shade of the main building.
Everywhere in Thailand, shops sell spirit houses and shrines to embed ancestors' ashes.


ผีต้นไม้ or "PHI TON MAI" means "ghosts that reside in tree". They are generally classified into two categories, i.e. benovolent and malevolent spirits.
Everywhere in Thailand, some trees are wrapped with a cloth. Especially in temples but also in forests. It means that a spirit inhabits the tree. Of course the tree shall not be cut without warning the spirit in order to let him find another tree.


There is often a certain spirit associated to a certain type of tree such as banana tree. นางไม้ or "NANG MAI" is a female spirit inhabiting a tree. Other famous spirits are นางตะเคียน or "NANG TAKIAN" located in hopea trees and นางตานี or "NANG TANEE" located in banana trees.
To protect forests against logging, some monks ordain trees and wrapped them up with a thin orange cloth. Trees were then sacred. For Bouddhist people it was now impossible to harm the trees. Alas sometimes officials used another monk to defrock the trees.

หมอผี or "MO PHI" are the spirits doctors. หมอดู or "MO DOO" are astrologers.
A monk or astrologer may suggest that misfortune or suffering can be terminated by taking a new name.


In Thailand many spirit doctors help people to get chance, to gain the heart of a desired mate, to get rid of ghosts, to reveal future, to get rid of curses. These spirit doctors can be ordinary persons who have spirit power ("PALANG CHIT" - ปลั่งจิต) or also monks. But monk hierarchy does not tolerate those monks.
Of course there are dozens of ways of telling fortunes, but in Thailand reading cards or the palm are probably the most popular.


The annual biggest concentration of spirit doctors happens each september in Phuket and South of Thailand during the Vegetarian festival. Many men pierce their body with sharp objects or walk on fire. They feel no pain and show the power of the spirit that inhabits their body. This festival is linked to Chinese religion and beliefs.

นางกวัก or "NANG KWAK" is a spirit.
The "NANG KWAK" is a spirit supposed to bring money in the household. Its statue represents a woman in Thai traditional clothes, sitting on her knees with the right hand up and the hand making the gesture to bring money to her-self. Thai people like to have this statue in their home or their shop.




กุมารทอง or "KUMAN THONG" is a baby spirit.
The first story related to "KUMAN THONG" was found in the Thai book "KHUN CHANG KHUN PAEN" (ขุนช้างขุนแผน). The way to get a "KUMAN THONG" is quite horrible: one must get a dead foetus and burn it in order to obtain a small body. Then dark incantations are cast to insert black magic inside. The "KUMAN THONG" spirit is supposed to warn and protect his owner in case of danger. The owner must also feed and protect it.
Nowadays "KUMAN THONG" are made of wood. It often represents a little child with a hair topcut. If the owner doesn't take care of his "KUMAN THONG", power disappears from the statue.
A few years ago a monk addicted to black magic made a "KUMAN THONG" with a dead foetus. He was disrobed.

ผีปอบ or "PHI POP" is an evil spirit.
These ghosts are powerful and fearful. If they succeed to possess someone, they eat his intestines. One solution to get rid of them is to call a "doctor" dancer. This spirit doctor chases the "PHI POP" by making a whirlpool dance. When watching the dance, the "PHI POP" entered a whirlpool and is chased from the body.
Origin of "PHI POP" came from an old legend. Once upon ago a Prince fond of magic found the way to enter inside alive bodies and to take control over them. Once the prince said magic words and entered into the body of an animal. His servant listening to those words repeated them, entered to the body of the Prince and of course became the Prince. The Prince entering the body of a bird rushed to tell the truth to his wife. This one destroyed the servant's body and challenged the false Prince to enter the body on an animal, then the real Prince re-entered in his body but the servant was not able to re-enter his body. Since this time his spirit goes from one body to the other eating its intestines.

ผีอำ or "PHI AM" is a spirit.
The spirit "PHI AM" sleeps on the chest. When somebody has difficulty to breathe, Thai people say that a "PHI AM" spirit sleeps on his chest.
For example, the belief about widow ghosts which prompts men in some northeastern villages to put on lipstick (widow ghosts then believe they are women) before retiring to bed, or to place effigies in front of their houses, cannot be proven true. But it involves no fraud and makes the villagers feel better.

ผีกระสือ or "PHI KRASEU" is a evil spirit.
The spirit "PHI KRASEU" is often represented as a woman head with intestines.

ผีตายโหง or "PHI TAI HONG" are the most fearful ghost.
These spirits died of violent death ( murder, crash car and so on...). The velocity of their death surprised them. The most powerful of all is "PHI TAI HONG TONG KLOM" (ผีตายโหงทองกลม), spirit of a pregnant woman. This ghost is more powerful because it has the power of two people.
Thai people are really afraid of these ghosts. Even today the belief is still strong in Thai society. Some ghosts stories are often based on women already pregnant and abandoned by their husband or boyfriend. After committing suicide, the ghosts of these women could be seen wandering and looking after their mate.
Some people still believe that an undertaker shall use needles to sew up the mouth, a death ritual believed to prevent the spirit of a person who died young and in a violent manner from haunting the living.
Following the 2004 deadly tsunami, tales of ghost sightings in the six worst hit southern provinces have become endemic, with many locals saying they are too terrified to venture near the beach or into the ocean. Health experts described as an outpouring of delayed mass trauma.

In the garden grounds of the Nai Lert Park Hotel in Bangkok, there is a shrine called "CHAO MAE TUPTIM", dedicated to the goddess "TUPTIM". It is said that women who pray here in a wish to become fertile for pregnancy, will return if their wish is fulfilled, and place another phallus at the shrine in thanks.
Penises abound at the shrine of goddess "TUPTIM". Most are built of wood, and are quite huge, including some which stand 10 feet tall.
Chao Mae Tuptim

Tall cylinders of stone (called "lingams") are worshipped as the phallic images of Hindu god Shiva.
Thais occasionally dangle a tiny wooden phallus from their belt or necklace, for added protection. Modern Thais are familiar with wooden penises which are sold in markets as good luck amulets. Sometimes, a shop or restaurant will display a wooden penis in a discreet location, hoping it will help business.



พยานาค or "PHAJANAK" is a mystical snake living in the Mekong river.
People living close to Mekong river, especially in "ISAN" area have a strong belief in the "PHAJANAK". Thai and Lao people avoid swimming in Mekong river due to the "PHAJANAK" threat. It grabs the legs of people swimming and brings them under water to be used like servants. Some villagers have seen a "PHAJANAK" coming from the Mekong rolling around a tree.



In 1973 a strange fish was caught by American volonteers in Mekong river. It was 23 feet long. The reality is mixing up with old tales.


Spirits and buddhism
Thai temples are places related to Thai Buddhism. Monks are living there. Those places are sacred. Temples also contain cemetaries. Bones are enshrined in small pagoda.

Cemetary
In year 2002 a religious rite was organized to get rid of ghosts many locals believe are haunting an accident-plagued intersection. Some local people believe the intersection was haunted by ghosts who wanted more people to die so that the spirits of the dead would guard the road for them. Monks performed a prayer to cast out all bad spirits and bring good luck.
At night Thai temples become "evil" places. Monks sleep in their houses. Ghosts and spirits are reputed to wander around cemetary in temples. Some spirit doctors use the oil of buried corpse, called "NAM MAN PRAI" ( น้ำมันพราย ), to make love filters, which are told to be the best.
Everywhere in Thailand, shops sell spirit houses and shrines to embed ancestors' ashes.


It is said that during the first days of ordination, young monks, while meditating, are assaulted by ghosts in order to afraid them and to force them to defrock.
Still today every person who died must be cremated and not buried. When the body is cremated, the soul goes away and waits until next reincarnation. If buried, it stays on earth as a spirit and it harms everybody. In 1998, a big cremation was organised to burn many dead people. Nobody has claimed the corpses. The Poh Tek Teung Foundation and Ruam Katanyu Foundation staff are known as "body snatchers" working in great anticipation of collecting some dead corpses.

Huge statues of giants called "YAK" (ยักษ์) stand in front of temples. They intend to frighten the spirits and protect the Buddha statues from the spirits. The most famous "YAK" in Thailand are located in the Royal temple "WAT PHRA KAEW" (วัดพระแก้ว) in Bangkok. This temple contains the famous Emerald Buddha statue made of jade. It is said that the jade is coming from a mountain where "YAK" are supposed to have been living long ago. It is a rare case where the "YAK" are facing the temple inner.



"PHRA KREUANG" (พระเคื่รอง) or Buddha holy amulet is a lucrative business in Thailand. Made of stone, pottery or metal, temples use them to remind followers of the Buddha's teachings and to commemorate deceased monks. Sales eventually became a key source of income. There are specialised markets to buy them. Prices can be very high (up to one million Baht) for high sacred amulets. Chinese, Hong Kong and Singapore people are also interested in amulets business but Thailand still remains the best place for that kind of business. There are even persons collecting them. This kind of worship for amulets started at RAMA IV reign.
Most Thai people believe that wearing around the neck a Buddha holy amulet protect them from anything. There are even some policemen that don't wear any bullet-proof jacket or some drivers that don't use their seat-belt while driving because they are protected by the magic of the amulet against bullets or accidents.


Some people also wear several holy amulets to have more protection. Some also wear amulets in shape of male sex in order to improve their virility. Many magazines about holy amulets are sold in Thai book shops.
In 1996, the amulet business was worth 10 billion baht. In 2000, it grossed just 6 billion baht. The main cause of falling sales is Thailand's struggling economy. People can't afford to buy or spend as much on the amulets. But the market in a predominantly Buddhist country has also suffered because of growing doubts about the revered but scandal-tainted monkhood. Anyway amulets blessed by reputable monks still sell well.




Thai people believe it is possible to change the destiny, to escape the fate, to lessen the sufferings by magical interventions such as tattoos, amulets.
The "YAN" (ยันต์) is a drawing representing religious mystical symbols to protect the area from ghosts and bad spirits. This symbol can be seen in many locations such as cars, taxis, temples, doors of houses and so on...


Thai men believe in the power of tattoos. In old times tattoos ("SAK" - สัก) protected the skin against sharp knifes. The only way to kill the person was to hit the body strongly in order that internal bleeding caused the death.

เวรกรรม or "WEN KAM" is the result of the past bad actions.
Bad actions and rewards of these bad actions take an important place in Buddhism and in Thai behaviour. When somebody dies, if he behaved in a bad way, he is sent to hell in order to be tortured. After a while, he shall have a new rebirth. This life will be hard and tough. He has to pay for his past bad actions. Only when he died, he will have consumed his bad actions.
Thailand has also a unique traditional death ritual, i.e. applying soot or red lime to the corpse to identify the person when he or she is reborn.
Some Thai magazine narrate "WEN KAM" stories. The slogan is "No need to wait for next life in order to know more about the result of past bad actions".

Thai magazine
Thai people often say "WEN KAM" (เวรกรรม) when they have bad luck. It means that their bad luck is linked to their past behaviour in their previous life. Thai people often make offerings to temples and monks in order to gain merit and lessen their past bad actions.
Thai people believe that when people die, a relative has to cremate them or bless them. If this is not done or the body is not found, people believe the person will appear over and over again to show where they are.
In 2001 a woman who claims her son has been reincarnated as a lizard can keep it until she performs religious rites to send his spirit away. She claims the monitor lizard followed her home after her son was cremated one month ago. It's illegal to keep the reptile in captivity, but officials have agreed to let her keep it until she's performed the rites. Crowds have visited her home, believing the lizard is lucky. Some have rubbed its skin hoping to see winning lottery numbers. The reptile is being fed on yoghurt and milk - favourites of the dead boy. The lizard is said to be in a poor condition and growing weaker. It will be taken to a wildlife sanctuary once the rites have been performed.


Mae nak phra khanong
A famous shrine in Bangkok (ศาลแม่นาคพระโขนง) is located near Sukhumvit Road, Soi 101. It is containing the grave of the dreadful ghost "PHI PHRA KHANONG" (ผีพระโขนง). This ghost has frightened Thai people since almost a century.

Mae nak phra khanong
Last century, when Bangkok was still called the "Venice of the Far East", a woman called "MAE NAK" (แม่นาค) was married to a soldier. After a while her husband has to go to a remote place. Alas she was already pregnant.
While her husband was away, she died with the baby still inside her body. So as Thai people believe, a woman who died with her baby creates a powerful spirit called "PHI TAI HONG THONG KLOM" (ผีตายโหงทองกลม). She started to frighten all her neighbourhood, killed some people and sucked their blood and so everybody was afraid of her. But she still loved her husband deeply.


Her husband didn't know anything about his wife's death. So when he came back home his wife was waiting for him. Many persons did warn him that his wife was dead and that he was living with a ghost but he did not believe them. One day when "MAE NAK" was preparing the dinner and her husband bathing himself in the bathroom, a lemon fell from her hand. As the house was a Thai traditional house, it was built on piles and so the lemon fell on the ground 2 meters lower than the house's floor. So the ghost "MAE NAK" made her arm longer in order to get it. But her husband saw that and understood that his wife was a ghost and managed to flee from the house.
Thanks to a monk, the spirit was imprisoned in a bottle and thrown in the river. The monk covered the bottle with a cloth. On this cloth was written Pali language in order to disable the spirit from going outside the bottle. But the legend is not over. Two fishermen trying to catch some fish got the bottle and freed "MAE NAK".


But the husband of "MAE NAK" was living with another woman. The ghost of "MAE NAK" managed to find them and killed her husband's new girlfriend.
Finally "MAE NAK" accepted to stop killing because a monk promised her that in a next life she would live again with her husband. Nowadays Thai people still believe in the story of "MAE NAK PHRA KHANONG". Thai people don't like to speak about ghosts, they are afraid to meet them in their dreams while sleeping.
"MAE NAK" is said to love listening Mon Rak Luuk Tuung
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Today the grave of "MAE NAK PHRA KHANONG" can be found in a shrine in Bangkok. This shrine is famous because "MAE NAK" is supposed to help people playing lottery. Thai people are looking for lucky numbers in trees' bark.


The Thai expression is ขัดต้นไม้ขอหวย.
A young Thai is lady adding gold leaves on Mae nak phra khanong's arm. Her baby is in front of her.
Mae nak phra khanong

"MAE NAK" is the short name for "MAE NAK PHRA KHANONG". "MAE" (แม่) means mother but now many people are calling her "YA NAK". "YA" (ย่า) means grant mother. Indeed the story happened one century ago.
Many donations are made : toys, flowers, beautiful dresses, children clothes, food for her or her child. During all the day, a TV is on. "MAE NAK" likes the Thai movie "MON RAK LUUK THUNG" (มนต์รักลูกทุ่ง).

Mae nak phra khanong
Thai mothers always warn their daughters to come home after school. If not "MAE NAK" might catch them ! The shrine where "MAE NAK PHRA KHANONG" ashes remain is located near Sukhumvit road, soi 77. This shrine is now famous. Due to the several Thai TV series and the movie, the shrine is overcrowded.
Inside the shrine there is a statue of "MAE NAK" covered with gold leaves.
Mae nak phra khanong

The Thai movie "NANG NAK" released in 1999 is the year biggest success in Thai cinema. It is the story of "MAE NAK PHRA KHANONG".