Inside the world of Luuk Thep: Psychoanalysis of the Thai mind
FRANCES SUSELO


Featured image is a still from a Thai TBS broadcast and is via Business Insider

BANGKOK: -- The international media has been having a field day since the announcement by Thai Smile Air that they will now allow passengers to buy plane tickets for their magical haunted dolls, otherwise known as luuk thep.

The decision was made after several passengers refused to stash their precious dolls inside their suitcases or in the overhead compartments because, they claimed, these are not just any old dolls.

Indeed, these dolls are actually alive, insist their human ‘parents’, because they have the souls of dead children residing in them.

These pseudo-parents, who have been shelling out plenty of baht for their dolls’ food, entertainment, clothes, and jewelry, were simply outraged that the airline was treating the dolls like inanimate objects.

Today, luuk thep dolls enjoy a variety of goods and services that have been made available just for them: buffet promotions, gold jewelry, cute clothes and accessories; even spa and facial treatments.

A quick crash course on the luuk thep phenomenon, which has grown into a frenzy recently:

Luuk thep are actually the modern version of kuman thong; an ancient practice where a dead fetus was roasted and covered in gold leaf – thus the name ‘kuman thong’, which means ‘golden child’ – in order to invite good fortune. Whoever possesses a kuman thong has a duty to properly care for and worship it in return for future favor.

However, since both a necromancer and a real, dead fetus are needed to make a kuman thong, a luuk thep (meaning ‘child angel’) is a more convenient and updated version of this ancient – and some might say morbid – practice to provide hope and confidence.

One simply has to buy a luuk thep doll (which, as far as this writer knows, contain NO human body parts), priced anywhere between ‎฿2,000 to ‎฿20,000, and instruct a monk to recite a magical incantation to invite a dead child’s soul in to inhabit the doll. Then the so-called parent will need to take care of and spoil the doll by providing clothes, food, time, love and attention. In return, the luuk thep will bring good fortune like money, love and happiness.

Full story: http://whatsonsukhumvit.com/inside-the-world-of-luuk-thep-psychoanalysis-of-the-thai-mind/


-- (c) What's on Sukhumvit 2016-02-03

What is really needed is a pill to help with chronic logic deficiency.

Nothing to psychoanalyze. It is same age old Thai mentality that is just placed into a bride of Chucky.

The mentality that causes them to rub tree barks, pray to carcasses of abnormal births, or wearing amulets that are deemed magical.

I have a pet rock , costs me nothing !

brings me luck (huh) good fortune (sure) money (haha) love (kidding) happiness (already happy ) but just in case i will get another pet rock !

The first Europeans visiting Thailand or Siam as it was known then, described the Siam people as "Childlike and Inferior".

Looks like there hasn't been much evolution in the past couple of centuries.

When I look into their minds, all I see are planets.

A poor article IMHO to try and justify a very weird and bonkers phenomena. Yes the world does see this as crazy and hardly sets a positive image of Thai people. as someone who is nota fan of the current way things are here trying to align the problems with acceptance of this strange practice in a modern world is unjustified. In the 21st century from a supposedly modern society, one would and should expect better.

I would imagine the average Thai taking a word association test would have the same response to every prompt,

MONEY !

Nothing to psychoanalyze. It is same age old Thai mentality that is just placed into a bride of Chucky.

The mentality that causes them to rub tree barks, pray to carcasses of abnormal births, or wearing amulets that are deemed magical.

Which religion were you born into? I'd bet I could say similar things about the people in your country!

A poor article IMHO to try and justify a very weird and bonkers phenomena. Yes the world does see this as crazy and hardly sets a positive image of Thai people. as someone who is nota fan of the current way things are here trying to align the problems with acceptance of this strange practice in a modern world is unjustified. In the 21st century from a supposedly modern society, one would and should expect better.

Yes, it looks like another amateurish news source has been found.

This is a racist article. A very SMALL percentage of Thai people believe in gooman thong. It is not a look into the THAI mind.

It is like me writing an article about the KKK saying a look into the American mind.

Nothing to psychoanalyze. It is same age old Thai mentality that is just placed into a bride of Chucky.

The mentality that causes them to rub tree barks, pray to carcasses of abnormal births, or wearing amulets that are deemed magical.

Which religion were you born into? I'd bet I could say similar things about the people in your country!

We no longer think our emperor is God...since after WW2...evolved!

Nothing to psychoanalyze. It is same age old Thai mentality that is just placed into a bride of Chucky.

The mentality that causes them to rub tree barks, pray to carcasses of abnormal births, or wearing amulets that are deemed magical.

Which religion were you born into? I'd bet I could say similar things about the people in your country!

we are uniquely human and all different

The only reason a minority have them is because the majority can't afford them.

Morons.

What is really needed is a pill to help with chronic logic deficiency.

Does a pill like that help Muslims, Jews, Christians and others too.. I mean why would one unproven religion be more foolish as an other ?

Slightly off topic in a way but I like how they wait for Songkran to rain dance, nothing like hedging yer bets is there. You wanna impress anyone and prove a point then do it in a season where rain isn't the norm anyhow.

A poor article IMHO to try and justify a very weird and bonkers phenomena. Yes the world does see this as crazy and hardly sets a positive image of Thai people. as someone who is nota fan of the current way things are here trying to align the problems with acceptance of this strange practice in a modern world is unjustified. In the 21st century from a supposedly modern society, one would and should expect better.

Yes, it looks like another amateurish news source has been found.

It's actually a pretty decent article if you read all of it.

Click that link thingey under the article.

Indeed, these dolls are actually alive, insist their human ‘parents’, because they have the souls of dead children residing in them

And the Japanese guys are using their dolls for.......aeeeh hmmm. because they have life in them.

Anyone remember "Cabbage Patch Dolls" and people queuing blocks away for them?

Indeed, these dolls are actually alive, insist their human parents, because they have the souls of dead children residing in them

And the Japanese guys are using their dolls for.......aeeeh hmmm. because they have life in them.

Actually, the dolls in Japan are now licensed by USA and made in China, like Nike. No life force or spirit in them.

What is really needed is a pill to help with chronic logic deficiency.

Does a pill like that help Muslims, Jews, Christians and others too.. I mean why would one unproven religion be more foolish as an other ?

It's an inanimate object which is factory made. It has less chance of having feelings than a tin of beans. Not exactly a contender to a major world view.

They actually have a mind to analyze?

What is really needed is a pill to help with chronic logic deficiency.

Does a pill like that help Muslims, Jews, Christians and others too.. I mean why would one unproven religion be more foolish as an other ?

It's an inanimate object which is factory made. It has less chance of having feelings than a tin of beans. Not exactly a contender to a major world view.

Same same.. both are unproven, there is absolutely no proof for any of them. Yes god is invisible.. and he does not make himself known because he wants us to have free will. Just as unlikely bull story as this. But i guess your religious and have to defend your kind of crazy.

Religion is nothing more as a kind of crazy and that is a fact until someone comes up with proof. If I start talking about an imaginary friend and speak to him they will lock me up in padded room. How is that different from speaking to an unproven god of any religion.Just because a lot of people are crazy does not make them right.. facts and proof do.. so far.. nothing on that front.

So i stick with my opinion that all religion is equally crazy.

Beliefs in: spirits, ghosts, magical tattoos, charms to deter evil forces, amulets to guard against any attack, incantations, exorcisms, dolls and a nationwide deployment of spirit houses explains that Thai’s expect they can change the laws of the universe through such beliefs.

Convenient and magical sums it up.

Convenient was invented for slackers.

Magic is a deception.

Visit the local wat without an offering and see how welcome you are. Quite the opposite in fact. The hypocrisy of it all is sickening.

This is a racist article. A very SMALL percentage of Thai people believe in gooman thong. It is not a look into the THAI mind.

It is like me writing an article about the KKK saying a look into the American mind.

I respectfully disagree with your statement. I think a large percentage of Thai people believe in this. Superstition reigns in their lives. Case in point. After my gf's mother died more than a year ago, none of her family members except my gf will go near her house because the mother's ghost lives in the house.

I normally magically make spirits of dead monkeys fly out of some peoples back sides!

The first Europeans visiting Thailand or Siam as it was known then, described the Siam people as "Childlike and Inferior".

Looks like there hasn't been much evolution in the past couple of centuries.

On this forum we get all sorts of comments and opinions, but every now and then somebody completely nails it, says it is as it really is. Well said!

Anyone remember "Cabbage Patch Dolls" and people queuing blocks away for them?

Same street, different house!

Superstitious , that's being kind. Every one of those little houses you see everywhere, the ones where they put a little food out everyday and some incense and have a little prayer...that's got nothing to do with Buddhism, that's just to make happy the spirits that occupy that block of land or dwelling....yes, they are extremely superstitious people....and it does them no favors.