Thai Smile offers seats for child god dolls on plane

[webfact]

Thai Smile offers seats for child god dolls on plane



BANGKOK: -- Thai Smile Airways says it will sell air tickets and serve food and drinks to "child angels" for passengers who want to take their "Look Thep" dolls on board.

The airline’s acting chief officer Capt Woraneti Lahprabang said the selling of seats to Look Thep or what the airline calls “child angel” was in response to passengers who want to bring their dolls with them on board and are reluctant to have them loaded in cargo cabin or put under the passenger seat or in overhead compartment in case the dolls are big.

He said in the past there were about 20 passengers who took Look Thep dolls as carry-on to sit with them on the laps and some also asked to serve drinks and food for their dolls.

Under the aviation safety regulations, luggage or big objects are not allowed to carry on to the passenger cabin. They must be put under the seats or kept in the overhead compartment, he said.

So selling tickets to these child angels is an alternative for this certain group of passengers to keep their spirits and thrust on their “child gods”, he explained.

But seats for child angels will be restricted to near the windows.

They are not allowed to be seated in the middle row or near the emergency exits which are reserved for passengers who want special assistance.

Passengers also have to declare how many child angels they will bring along with them.

But for passengers who bring along their child angels with small sizes, they can still bring them as carry-on.

Look Thep or child god as it was called is a new superstition-fueled trend that has emerged in the country with locals seen cradling, feeding and dressing up their haunted dolls in the belief they will bring wealth and blessing.

It was believed to be the updated version of the old kuman thong, the fetal fetishes containing the soul of a child traditionally worshiped, but without going to the trouble of obtaining a dead fetus.

Instead, Look Thep are soul-optional, they simply invite a child’s spirit to possess a factory-manufactured doll.

A well-known DJ from 94 FM went public recently with his Look Thep named “Wansai” on television claiming the doll has brought him success in the entertainment industry.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/148024


-- Thai PBS 2016-01-25

[Bluespunk]

"He said in the past there were about 20 passengers who took Look Thep dolls as carry-on to sit with them on the laps and some also asked to serve drinks and food for their dolls."

Day by day, against all expectations, in the face of insurmountable odds, the world gets stupider and stupider.

[NickJ]

Just when you thought you have seen everything. Maybe some of them could work in the industry or even fly a few planes.

[alocacoc]

The End is Near.

[DrTuner]

Personally I prefer a live Look Chang. They'll take him aboard, yes?

[DM07]

...say what?

[jacky54]

Far too many kidults in Thailand, they need to grow up a bit more.

[nikmar]

I saw this for the first time in Samut Prakan over the New Year period. A whole family doting over a doll and each taking turns to cradle it.......and ...errr....feed it. They actually bought it a meal. (baa mii keow).

Each to their own i guess.

[MESmith]

Fortunately, mine deflates easily & doesn't take up much room

[pinkpanther99]

And they wonder why the Thai aviation industry is in a mess

[seajae]

another money spinner is all this is, they realize only an idiot would have dolls like this and want to take them so charging them is a sure way to make money for nothing. Just goes to show how lack of intelligence and common sense effects some people, adults wanting to take their dolls with them and wanting them to be served drinks and food, really have to wonder how they have survived as long as they have, really getting pathetic now

[Somtamnication]

When my wife sees me naked she always says Oh my God. Does that count for a free seat for beautiful me?

[WhizBang]

"He said in the past there were about 20 passengers who took Look Thep dolls as carry-on to sit with them on the laps and some also asked to serve drinks and food for their dolls."

Day by day, against all expectations, in the face of insurmountable odds, the world gets stupider and stupider.

Amen to that.

All I can add is, Oh good grief.

[ratcatcher]

Fortunately, mine deflates easily & doesn't take up much room

Is that when she appears to have a 'hissy' fit?

[apetley]

One of my Thai friends has one of these dolls and she is one of the hardest working, good natured women I know. However, it is quite disturbing how she literally treats this doll as something possessing supernatural powers.

I just don't get it but so long as it doesn't directly effect me each to their own.

[skildpadden]

Buying an airline seat for a haunted doll? I am really trying to wrap my brain around this and trying to accept all this superstition, but honestly some people in Thailand apparently has too much money and are in dire need of a hobby, a dog, cat or whatever.

[SoFarAndNear]

This country really needs more equitable society where wealth is shared fairly so the wealthy not have to buy plastic humans out of boredom because they don't know what to do with their money.....

[In the jungle]

"It was believed to be the updated version of the old kuman thong, the fetal fetishes containing the soul of a child traditionally worshiped, but without going to the trouble of obtaining a dead fetus."

Because tracking down a dead foetus is such a pain and so last week??

[roo860]

Fortunately, mine deflates easily & doesn't take up much room

Is that when she appears to have a 'hissy' fit?

Mine 'goes down' quite regularly.

[Misterwhisper]

Look on the bright side: Those dolls won't occupy the lavatory for hours on end, won't complain about the quality of the food, won't get obnoxiously drunk on free booze, won't talk loudly all night and prevent you from sleeping, won't barf in your lap at every bit of turbulence, won't throw angry tantrums when the hostess doesn't turn up immediately to attend to their every wish, won't cry during the entire flight (unlike some real babies and infants), won't force an annoying conversation on you, won't bother you with their body odor, won't want to squeeze out of their seat every 5 minutes, won't constantly hijack your elbow rest or lean into your space, won't scramble for their hand luggage as soon as the plane has landed and is still taxiing, won't verbally abuse you if you're unwilling to give up your assigned seat so they can sit with their friends, etc. etc.

Oh, and make sure those stupid dolls are charged the full fare. That should help fill seats and bring Thai Smile back into the black.

[DNPBC0]

Does the airline carry any spare nappies for the child gods?

[Kasset Tak]

They also have life size cat dolls that are supposed to bring luck, I have seen them for sale on Facebook promoted by a Myanmar monk/temple!? One teacher (Thai, female and doctor degree in education) I used to work with bought one for 10,000 Baht and brings it to work in a special bag!

[Blackfish64]

The other day I was making a list on the pros and cons of staying here in Thailand. I have lived her for two years now and I always thought I would get used to it, so to speak. I always thought I would be able to overlook all the silliness and get along just fine in spite of all the superstition, lies, fakery, corruption, racism, begging, and thievery. That never happened. And it's things like these that help me to make the decision not to stay here much easier. The irrationality and stupidity of the people in this country is sometimes very difficult to believe. It's horrifying. I don't want it to be true. How can this be true?

I thought things would improve, for myself, and for Thailand as I went along. But there is no improvement whatsoever. In fact it has only gotten worse. The more I learn, the more appalled I become with every day that passes. The decline is imminent. It's time to go.

[bangkokfrog]

As usual, its all about the money. Did the airline not stop to think that there may be some other passengers who might not like the idea / be afraid of ghosts?

[choff56]

Sorry Mr. So and So, you were bumped out of your seat by a child god doll that quite frankly has more money than you.

[trogers]

Brides of Chucky? How soon before we get news of a plane being downed by one?

[nongsung]

The wife took it very seriously when I joked about these dolls...

[CantSpell]

"He said in the past there were about 20 passengers who took Look Thep dolls as carry-on to sit with them on the laps and some also asked to serve drinks and food for their dolls."

Day by day, against all expectations, in the face of insurmountable odds, the world gets stupider and stupider.

Stupids and bombers really seem to be racing this year indeed...

[madmitch]

I was going to ask if this is an early April Fool's article until I realised it's a major part of Thai Airways' master-plan of increasing income.

I wonder if hi-sos on freebies get a free ticket for their dollies? I know it's only Thai Smile at the moment but it's just a pilot at this stage.

[LannaGuy]

'child god dolls'? we need 'maturity adjustment camps' NOW!