Buriram villagers use red shirts to ward off ghosts

[soalbundy]

How's the spirit gonna read the signs if it's headless?

If it's an Isaan ghost it can't read anyway.........Hey but who knows maybe it works,I have experienced several rather strange outlandish premonitions from a Thai monk that turned out to be true.

[Interman]

This has been going on in lampang for over a year. Since they are placed at the gate in front of the house I asked what if the ghost comes around the back. They laughed, and I'd think most of the don't actually believe in this crap just follow.

[Ace of Pop]

Perhaps its just Me, but i don't find anything funny in it.These People can Vote, nice as they may be, that's why democracy doesn't balance out here too good. No Education. Just Red Rhetoric and 1-10 Rules pinned on an Amphur Wall.

All democratic countries follow one religion or another. What's the difference between that and what these people believe?

I've found the Educated don't believe the words of other Men unless presented with solid evidence.

[sirchai]

This is not that bad. Here's what happened in a village many moons ago. Two younger men got killed through accidents within two days of Songkran in a little village near Uthumphon Phisai, Sisaket province.

Need to add that one hit a tree on a dirt road,speeding on his motorbike, the other guy drove a pick up truck, overturned and died. Both were -of course- not drunk.

The monks and elders got together and made a decision. All the black dogs had to be killed. At this time "white shirts", tablecloths, etc..with the blood of the dead black dogs had to be nailed on their huts to avoid ghosts to come in.

They even put straw puppets with card boards in front of their houses, written on them : "Here's no young man living", in addition, they put some Make Up on the young men's faces and colored their fingernails. .

Makes perfect sense to me. The ghosts were able to read their Isaan Thai posters, but were easily fooled by the Make Up.

Edited February 22, 2014 by sirchai

[Finlaco]

I come from a country where 82% of people believe a man (and it has to be a man) doing incantations in Latin (and it has to be Latin) turns bread and wine into the body and blood of a dead king, and his followers regularly (at least once a week) participate in a Cannibalistic ritual (eating and drinking his flesh and blood). Many believe by doing this they will know morality and will live forever in a paradise after death. Many believe that he will also ward off evils including illness. Strange beliefs some people have.

[ggt]

Other cultures hang out red-lights...to encourage wandering spirits to enter their home...

[Jip99]

I come from a country where 82% of people believe a man (and it has to be a man) doing incantations in Latin (and it has to be Latin) turns bread and wine into the body and blood of a dead king, and his followers regularly (at least once a week) participate in a Cannibalistic ritual (eating and drinking his flesh and blood). Many believe by doing this they will know morality and will live forever in a paradise after death. Many believe that he will also ward off evils including illness. Strange beliefs some people have.

I am pleased that I don't live in that country - I bet they eat fish on Fridays as well! I think I would rather hang out a red shirt.

[SweatySock]

Not only Surin and Buriram, been going on in our village in Nong Bua Lamphu for the last couple of years. In fact we have a red shirt hanging outside our house. Why you may ask?

A token to ward off ghosts I was told. Do I believe in it, hell no, but does it do any harm?

Edited February 22, 2014 by SweatySock

[khwaibah]

Not only Surin and Buriram, been going on in our village in Nong Bua Lamphu for the last couple of years. In fact we have a red shirt hanging outside our house. Why you may ask?

A token to ward off ghosts I was told. Do I believe in it, hell no, but does it do any harm?

I normally hang out an empty Red Bull or M-150 bottle it works for me.

[Ducking and]

By Khaosod English. .... Hmmm. This IS a spoof, isn't it?

[HannahD]

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Not sure how to post links but if you search widow ghost in the Isaan forum you can read all about it. Originated in Surin.

All over the wife's village in Surin. Buriram is a Johnny come lately. Have been for almost two years.

Nice try Kwaibah - but nothing will convince me that your village is anything more than backward.

Being 'first' at putting out a red shirt, to ward off the widow ghost, does not qualify you for a MENSA award !

Doubt seriously You'll find any MENSA award material laying about. alt=whistling.gif width=19 height=18>

Who knows that there is no MENSA material laying about? For all we know there may be another Einstein, Borlaug, or Marie Curie in the villages but we will never know because for far too many even secondary education is out of reach. When I was teaching at a large Thai university I soon realized that if I knew what province a student came from I knew what secondary had been attended because there were only two secondary schools in each province that could prepare students adequately to pass the entrance exams. Woefully uneducated and ignorant perhaps but not stupid.

[Dap]

This is quite common in the north (as well) as I've seen over the years while riding through the villages.

The topic has been discussed here in the past. To my understanding, always to ward off a spirit

intent on taking lives, after a number have died suddenly. In my experiences, males.

Edited February 22, 2014 by Dap

[binduzen]

How's the spirit gonna read the signs if it's headless?

He reads Braille!!!1

[binduzen]

Gotta love it.

[willyumiii]

This is a pretty common practice in much of Issan and I believe much of Thailand.

In my area, ( not one of those listed in the post) south of Khorat it is very common to see red shirts hanging in front of houses.

When I first came here I assumed it was a political statement.

It is not.

Spirits and ghosts are a part of daily life here and taken very seriously.

Hanging the red shirt in the yard is said to repell the "window ghost"

Maybe a joking matter to you, but not to those who believe it.

Know any good jokes about a tall white Jewish carpenter from the middle east who walks on water?

I've never met a Jewish carpenter.

Have you?

Edited February 22, 2014 by willyumiii

[louse1953]

Buriram is a bit behind the times as Surin did this 2 years ago,maybe our ghosts moved down the road.I was told it was to ward off the widow ghost looking for a new hubby,bring her on i say.Only house in the street without red shirt,good for other reasons as well.

By the way,no nocturnal visits yet.

[louse1953]

As said earlier, they have been in all the villages around where we live for about 2 years except that they have mostly rotted away by now. Obviously must be the silly season when writers cannot find anything worth reporting about in Thailand so you get these old stories dragged out of the cupboard again!!

Yes,only commented yesterday on the tatty nature of my neighbors red shirt.

[lostmebike]

Visited a buddy in Srisaket a little while ago and I think they do the same there.

One minute, what's that in the garden?

[BakHamLe]

Similar story in eastern Thailand sa gaeeo. The men were being targeted by a ghost and the psychic said to dress them up as women. No joke they actually did this and the unexplained deaths stopped. I had a hard time believing this but it actually happened.

Sent from my iPod touch using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[mikemac]

I would love to hang a few redshirts from the tree in our front yard.

[lostmebike]

I would love to hang a few redshirts from the tree in our front yard.

Agreed and maybe from some power lines

[fleeing]

Isn't this just an attempt by the UDD to create the impression that Thaksin still has mass support in Isaan, despite Yingluck's policies ignoring the poor and only trying to benefit the more affluent voters who can buy new cars and sell enough rice to the rice-scam scheme?

[marko kok prong]

We have this here to in the village i live in,it just confirms to me that thai's are still basically in buddist/animist religion,my wife really believes in ghosts,i am not saying i do not, i would never poo poo a subject like this,but we don't have a shirt outside,when i asked she told me the ghost was only after the man of the house and as i was falang,it would not be interested in me, a great benefit i think for living in thailand,the ghosts will leave us alone.

[diehard60]

And this people vote for PT !

I understand now why they believe goverment are going to pay thier rice soon...................

I guess you don't understand anything about Thai culture.

[janpharma]

There are more villages involved...Ban Kwaw, Kokwath etc...

[metisdead]

A post containing overly derogatory comments toward Thais has been removed as well as the replies.

[herb59]

i hang out red and yellow shirts. the wind ghost dries them up very quickly.

[wolfmanjack]

There are red shirts hanging out side houses all over issan. It is only an indication of there politics.

This is definitely something you "composed'. It is definitely not true.

I think he is talking about the red shirts hanging around drinking lao khao.

[barrybankruad]

For gawds sake. The Roman Catholic church has just recently begun training more priests to be able to properly 'EXORCISE' those they believe are 'possessed'. What's the difference?

[patongphil]

We have this here to in the village i live in,it just confirms to me that thai's are still basically in buddist/animist religion,my wife really believes in ghosts,i am not saying i do not, i would never poo poo a subject like this,but we don't have a shirt outside,when i asked she told me the ghost was only after the man of the house and as i was falang,it would not be interested in me, a great benefit i think for living in thailand,the ghosts will leave us alone.

Maybe your missus just wants rid of you. All houses around us, even those with farang husbands have red shirts outside.

Hope you sleep peacefully - the widow ghost may have identified her next victim.