Everything that you need to know about Thai Spirit Houses
I am just back from an epic 10 day trip from Thailand. The first destination was Phuket and then Chiang Mai and then finally Bangkok. So basically I traversed through the whole geography of Thailand, starting from the southern part to the north and then culminating the trip in the capital city. While I have something to say about every destination that I visited but I will park that for some other day. For today, I will be talking and explaining all about the “Spirit House or Phi House” in Thailand. Phi in Thai means spirit or ghost and hence the name Phi houses.
After I landed in Phuket I started noticing these houses pretty much at every nook and corner. Back then I didn’t know what it was called. I used to inquire about it by pointing at it. I made sure I asked a lot of people about it, just wanted to be sure that I am getting the same story out of everyone. To my surprise, it was the same story from everyone. Not just Phuket, I kept spotting these houses in Chiang Mai and Bangkok as well. So needless to say I inquired about spirit houses there as well. One point was clear that it isn’t something which is specific to a particular location in Thailand, it was everywhere in Thailand.
What is a Spirit House
Thai people strongly follow Buddhist philosophy. It is impossible to miss the imposing golden temples all over the country which houses varied sizes Buddha statues. Thai people go to these temples to offer prayers, money and food. Clearly Spirit houses are not equivalent to temples. Thai people are very superstitious and they believe in mystic energy and spirits. They believe that these spirits and energy are omnipresent and have the capability of making your life happy, sad or even miserable. Spirit house or Phi House is nothing but a manifestation of this strong belief. It is built as a home for these spirits and energies.
One can spot a Spirit/Phi house pretty much everywhere in the county. It essentially looks like a colourful toy house. It is always decorated with flowers and surrounded with bowls of fruit and glasses, filled with red liquid. Dang, my tour guide in Chiang Mai told me that Spirit houses can be of varied sizes and colours. Depending on the financial status of the individual, it can range from small size to ginormous. Spirit house can be for an individual house as well as for a locality.
Types of Spirit Houses/ Phi Houses
Spirit Houses are of all kinds possible. In terms of size, they can be really small or gigantic. Usually, a locality or a government office has life-size Spirit house, whereas the individual houses have modest size ones. There are varied varieties of houses in terms of what they are made of as well. They can be made up of concrete and metal. Such houses are made in factories and are available for sale at shops. The houses are also made up of wood which is handmade. But those can only be spotted in the interior villages of Thailand. The colour of a phi house is decided during a reading of an astrological chart, which is performed by a monk.
The spirit houses always stand on concrete pillars. If you look closely you will notice that some of them have one pillar and some have four. Those standing on four are meant for the spirit of the land, a ghost that lives on that particular ground and which can bring misfortune or good luck to the people who live in the nearby building. Houses standing on one leg are set a little higher. Inside you will find two figurines: an old lady and an old man. They are personifications of the owner’s ancestors. Next, to them, there is another phi house, where an angel can be found. This one is called Saan Pha Phum and its origins come from the Hindu religion. The angel holds money and a sword and his task are to protect the owners of the land and bring them luck and fortune.
Setting up a Spirit House
Setting up a spirit house isn’t a regular affair. It is always done during a Buddhist ceremony. A two-meter hole is dug out first. The owner puts coins, amulets and colourful stones at the bottom of the hole to make the spirits happy. Incense is burnt and a monk prays and blesses the place where the spirit house will be installed. Not just the setting up but the removal of the house is also done judiciously. If for any reason the house is to be removed a special ceremony is called. The house is then carefully moved to a cemetery or a temple where it stays until it rots away.
Offerings at a Spirit House
If you carefully notice you will see a lot of fruits and red drink at every spirit house. The red colour symbolizes blood and is nothing but a replacement of an animal sacrifice, which was once a popular tradition in Thai culture. Blood is of high reverence in Thai, because of it we live and we die. So it is believed that offering blood to the spirits/ghost will bring good fortune and fertile the land. Since animal sacrifice was declared illegal by King Rama, red Fanta is offered to the spirit as blood’s replacement.
Fruits and vegetables are offerings to ghosts and spirits to say thanks for bringing good luck. And also to ask them for keeping the household safe. These offerings are presented every morning. Incense is then lit, the aroma is supposed to get rid of bad energy. After a whole day, fruits are given to homeless people and animals. Drinks and liquids are always poured away.
Spirit Houses and Thai Culture
In Thai culture every morning the spirit houses are offered with fresh fruits, flower, red drink and incense. In a building or locality, the guard takes care of all the offerings but everyone else is welcome to join. If you move to a new house, as per the tradition you should visit the Phi house and burn incense and offer prayers to the spirits. When you stay overnight at someone’s house, you should also say a prayer to the spirits and ask them for a blessing and good dreams. It is also a symbol of saying hello to the ghosts that live on the land and assure them that you’re only a guest.
Spirit or Phi houses are one of many manifestations of how important religion and superstitions are in Thai culture. They are also a testament of how seamlessly it all blends in together. The spirit houses are not just another structure they are a part of the local landscape. It makes Thailand so colourful and fascinating. If you are ever visiting Thailand, look out for these houses. You will see how different and varied varieties of phi houses exist. Try to observe the local customs, notice beautiful installations and the kind of offerings that are set around the phi houses. It will allow you to get to know Thailand a little bit better. You are going to smile more in the land of smiles.
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That’s an informative article. I’ve read many articles on Thailand, but this is different. Didn’t know about these spirit houses until I stumbled upon this post.