Thai Ghosts

[kebabman7]

I was googling Thai Ghosts trying to find information on the Thai horror film "P" when I came across a list of Thai ghosts. Is there any more that are know by anyone here and what are they supposed to be like? Also, are certain phee restricted to local areas such a Issan or do they pop up all over Thailand?

Heres the list:

Phi Peta - A hungry ghost. Everyone who is preoccupied with material attachments to the exclusion of the spiritual will be reborn as a Peta, having a giant belly and an mouth as small as the eye of a needle. Peta may sometimes be heard whistling at night, looking for people to make merit for them. This ghost is relatively harmless.

Phi Am - A ghost which sits on the chest or liver of sleepers, causing discomfort. It can be harmful.

Phi Chamob - A ghost which haunts the place where a woman has died in the jungle. This spirit does not do any harm.

Phi Ha - The spirit of a woman who has died in childbirth. This ghost is considered to be very violent.

Phi Krahang - This ghost appears as a man with feathers and a tail like a bird. It eats filth and glows at night. An unpleasant and frightening spirit.

Phi Krasy - This ghost lives inside a witch and leaves her body during sleep by way of the mouth. The Krasy is the colour of fire, has a head the size of an electric light bulb and a half-metre long bluish tail. A Krasy ghost likes dirt and does not generally harm human beings, although when it consumes entrails (hardly surprisingly) it can cause death. Krasy witches have a sleepy appearance during the day. Their eyes don't blink and they can never look anybody in the face. Also, they don't cast any reflection in the mirror. Before Krasy witches can die, they have to find somebody who will inherit the Krasy by consuming some of the old witch's spittle.

Phi Lok - A ghost which haunts various localities. It frightens and misleads people, and can be seen as well as felt.

Phi Phrai - The spirit of a woman who has died in childbirth and whose body has been used to make phi thai hong lotion. A sorcerer must hold a candle under the corpse's chin, and from the resultant melted oil essences are manufactured which drive men mad and attract women.

Phi Tai Ha - The spirit of a woman who has died of malaria. The ghost will also spread this disease.

Phi Thuk Khun - The substance of a living person which has to be sent out on astral journeys every week, or harm will come to its owner,

Phi Khamod - A spirit in the shape of a red star which, like a Will o' the Wisp, misleads wanderers.

Phi Nang Tani - A female tree spirit which is essentially beneficent and may fill the alms bowls of itinerant monks.

Phi Pa - A forest spirit. Hunters may leave a piece of the foot, lip, tongue or eyelid of a killed animal to show respect to this spirit.

Phi Poang Khang - A spirit in the shape of a black monkey which likes to suck the big toe of people sleeping in the jungle. It is said to live near salt licks.

Phi Ka - These spirits are inherited through women and can be contagious. The Ka, if not properly treated (with raw eggs) will attack and possibly possess people without the owner's knowledge. Perhaps understandably, ordinary people are said to be reluctant to marry into Ka clans!

Phi Hai - Hungry, amoral spirits associated with places where people have died an unnatural or violent death. Phi Hai are easily offended, and take every opportunity to possess people. Normally, they can be induced to leave their victim if suitable offerings are made, but on occasions an exorcist has to drive them out. In such cases, when incantations and lustral water prove insufficient, a whip may need to be employed.

Phi Pob - A malicious and very dangerous spirit which manifests itself as a beautiful woman. Phi Pob float through the air because they have no legs or lower body. They generally appear as a length of internal organs and intestines suspended from a strikingly lovely face - therefore, beware beautiful women gliding mysteriously by in long dresses! This type of ghost is probably more feared than any other species in Thailand.

I've also heard of a Phi Lou (?spelling?) mentioned but don't know what type this is.....

[camerata]

I was googling Thai Ghosts trying to find information on the Thai horror film "P" when I came across a list of Thai ghosts. Is there any more that are know by anyone here and what are they supposed to be like? Also, are certain phee restricted to local areas such a Issan or do they pop up all over Thailand?

Heres the list:

Phi Peta - A hungry ghost. Everyone who is preoccupied with material attachments to the exclusion of the spiritual will be reborn as a Peta, having a giant belly and an mouth as small as the eye of a needle. Peta may sometimes be heard whistling at night, looking for people to make merit for them. This ghost is relatively harmless.

This one isn't unique to Thailand. The Realm of Hungry Ghosts is one of the six Buddhist realms of existence, and it has been depicted in countless medieval scrolls in China and Japan. Apparently, some Thais believe these ghosts can cross over into the human realm.

Phi Am - A ghost which sits on the chest or liver of sleepers, causing discomfort. It can be harmful.

I read somewhere that waking up with the feeling that something is sitting on your chest (constricting breathing and movement) is largely an Asian phenomenon, but I've never seen a scientific explanation for it. Presumably it's related to those dreams about loss of control, like the ones where you are running away but can only run in slow motion.

[chippie]

Phi Am - A ghost which sits on the chest or liver of sleepers, causing discomfort. It can be harmful.

I read somewhere that waking up with the feeling that something is sitting on your chest (constricting breathing and movement) is largely an Asian phenomenon, but I've never seen a scientific explanation for it. Presumably it's related to those dreams about loss of control, like the ones where you are running away but can only run in slow motion.

It,s actually one of the only dreams that happens in all cultures.

[Tywais]

Phii duat leut - Ghost that sucks blood - vampire

[camerata]

Some interesting info about the Phi Am phenomenon here. In folklore it's referred to as an incubus or Old Hag attack. In scientific terms it is Sleep Paralysis/Tonic Immobility, thought to be related to the "feigning death" state some animals adopt when seized by a predator.

[mrbojangles]

I was googling Thai Ghosts trying to find information on the Thai horror film "P"

Just for anyone else who might be interested, this is the link to the movie that kebabman is talking about.

http://www.paulspurrier.com/

[Tywais]

Just for anyone else who might be interested, this is the link to the movie that kebabman is talking about.

Thanks for the link. Is the movie available on DVD/VCD yet?

[mrbojangles]

Just for anyone else who might be interested, this is the link to the movie that kebabman is talking about.

Thanks for the link. Is the movie available on DVD/VCD yet?

I'm not too sure. I've been looking for a while. It is supposed to have been banned in Thailand (the last i heard) but apparently it is to be shown in the UK soon. I'm keeping an eye out.

[kebabman7]

Yeah, I'm still trying to locate this film, originally they were going to release in UK and Germany but no sign of it

Heres some more info about the film: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0449629/

and an interesting interview with the director: http://www.twitchfilm.net/archives/001578.html

There has been a small interview played a number of times on the Horror Channel (now Zone Horror) in the UK about this film where they interviewed Paul Spurrier, so hopefully they'll show it. Still can't find it on DVD anywhere.

Back to Thai Ghosts....has anyone ever heard of Phi Lou?

[Loaded]

That fairly recent Thai movie about the photos of ghosts centred around a pii pawb - Died violently and then sits on the shoulders of its victim.

A few years ago the Bangkok Post reported local spirit hunters collecting pii gasew in bamboo tubes in Issan villages.

[sbk]

Phi Blade : a giant ghost (male and female) with a sucker like mouth that kills parents.

Unfortunately this sounds very similar to my maiden name, hence the reason I took my husband's name

[Donz]

anyone watch ghost hunter?? thats a cool thai ghost show

[Neeranam]

Phi Blade : a giant ghost (male and female) with a sucker like mouth that kills parents.

I think you mean my favourite Thai ghost - pee braed.

They are not seen so much these days but were seen by many 50+ years ago.

[kebabman7]

Well, its taken a long time but I finally got around to cobbling together a small site on thai ghosts, gave me something to do on my last trip to LOS

The site is here if anyone is interested: www.ghostsofthailand.com

I've included a few other things on there, one of the more interesting things I heard about was Mak Ga Ree Pon (see Paranormal section on site here). I remember seeing these mentioned on a program called Beyond Bizarre ages ago but not been able to find out much on internet. If anyone has any more detailed information on them or any other interesting Thai phenomena feel free to let me know and I'll try to put it on the site. Same goes for any glaring errors, I can speak abit of Thai but things may have been lost abit in translation with my girlfriend and some other Thais I've spoken to.

[Livinginexile]

I was googling Thai Ghosts trying to find information on the Thai horror film "P"

Just for anyone else who might be interested, this is the link to the movie that kebabman is talking about.

http://www.paulspurrier.com/

Ohh...

That's kinda sexy...she can come and haunt me anytime

[HYENA]

I was googling Thai Ghosts trying to find information on the Thai horror film "P" when I came across a list of Thai ghosts. Is there any more that are know by anyone here and what are they supposed to be like? Also, are certain phee restricted to local areas such a Issan or do they pop up all over Thailand?

Heres the list:

Phi Peta - A hungry ghost. Everyone who is preoccupied with material attachments to the exclusion of the spiritual will be reborn as a Peta, having a giant belly and an mouth as small as the eye of a needle. Peta may sometimes be heard whistling at night, looking for people to make merit for them. This ghost is relatively harmless.

This one isn't unique to Thailand. The Realm of Hungry Ghosts is one of the six Buddhist realms of existence, and it has been depicted in countless medieval scrolls in China and Japan. Apparently, some Thais believe these ghosts can cross over into the human realm.

Phi Am - A ghost which sits on the chest or liver of sleepers, causing discomfort. It can be harmful.

I read somewhere that waking up with the feeling that something is sitting on your chest (constricting breathing and movement) is largely an Asian phenomenon, but I've never seen a scientific explanation for it. Presumably it's related to those dreams about loss of control, like the ones where you are running away but can only run in slow motion.

Sleep apnea; positional. Adjust your head (chin more towards ceiling, head back more) and you won't wake up with a ghost on your chest. Dreams are concocted within the last moments of sleep; scattered thoughts adjoined. Add sleep apnea and awakening from it and you've got a ghost.

. ...ghosts....amusing !

Edited July 10, 2009 by HYENA