Before today, my wife would pray and offer food to a small patch of grass and melted candle wax near the house. We splurged and got a real spirit house. The wife is very pleased with it all, and I am too!

This is how it is done in Chiangmai:

1 spirit house [locally-produced] placed at auspicious location near house and gate

2 grandparent figurines placed inside

+ additional figurines - human and animal

1 ball of string - strung around everything during the ceremony

2 ornate umbrella stands

+ colorful garlands (plastic and the ubiquitous phuang-maa-lai)

4 pieces of fabric for each leg of base, each a different color (jao-tee has 4 legs on base, unlike a pra-phoom)

Invite [hire] the local spiritual consultant [normally a former monk] to organize the event. There will be many prayers, chants and blessings. Discussions about the general welfare and gratitude of the [new] inhabitants are enthusiastic..

Offerings:

+ Toop-lai-lai-dawk (many, many incense sticks in groups of 15, 9, 5 and 1)

... some in the grataangs, some in the ground, and some stuck in the food

2 lovely banana-leaf arrangements topped by boiled eggs.

+ plates of food (fruit, chickens (2), pork, rice)

+ Beverages (1 glass whiskey and 1 glass water)

+ Smoking/chewing favorites of the older generations - maak (beetlenut), tobacco, grathom and ?

Apparently we are obligated to perform additional offerings on day 7, 9, and 14 and anytime the need arises after that.

So far ... so good!

We had the same here in Chiang Rai. But we have two spirithouses beside each other. One of the traditional ones made by cement on a long pole and a wooden beautiful little house we bought in Ban Tawai in Ching Mai.

What I understand, one is for dead people and one is for us.

We also had the old spiritual man doing the ceremonies. He made a list to my lady what she should provide for the ceremony.

Even me do the wai to the spirithouses now and then.

Having the spirithouses makes my lady happy and if she is happy, then I am happy.

:D

I had proposed getting a fine teak house but the neighbors [and wife] argued that the teak houses, although very nice, only last a few years and are not economical. It was also suggested that the spirit inhabitants would be more comfortable in a modern dwelling.