I’ve touched before on animistic beliefs and ghosts in Thailand, but this is a part of Thailand I find to be the most fascinating and interesting. Which is why I made it a priority to go to the Phi Ta Khon festival in Dan Sai, Loei this past weekend.
In Thailand, a bpai tiao is a trip of any length. I’ve written about some of my more significant bpai tiaos to tourist destinations here, to be used as travel ideas and tips.
Earlier this year, I decided that there were a bunch of festivals all over Thailand that I had to go to. The one that I was most excited about going to was the Phi Ta Khon Festival in Loei, which I just got back from. Phi Ta Khon, or the Ghost Festival is so colorful and fun. Check out the video for yourself!
Most of the time, my experiences with Thai superstitions are watching my friends and community members practice them. However, recently, I was directly involved with one. I tell the story in the video.
One time I came back from a bpai tiao just as dusk was setting in, and the sun sets really fast here. So on my two kilometer bike ride home I turned on my lights to the flashing setting and made it home just fine. When I told my co-teacher about it the next day, she told me that people probably thought that I was a ghost. Because Thai people believe in ghosts, and there are lots of Thai ghosts and lots of superstitions around them.