Traditional Beliefs

Thais claim to be Buddhists although they could more accurately be described as animists. Beliefs relating to property are mostly animistic in origin and are quite elaborate.

You can use crows to help you chose a suitable location. White, red and black rice grains are set out in the chosen location for the crows to pick from. If the crows choose grains of red or black rice it is a bad omen and the location is deemed unsuitable. Another method is by scent. Lumps of earth from a prospective site are sniffed for their aroma. If the soil smells of the pikun or lotus flower the site is auspicious.

A ceremony is made to the spirit of the land for permission to build a house on the site. A pig's head, a duck, chicken sweets and fruit are presented to the spirit. In the picture above you can see a dog in the background. He had been extremely naughty and tried to make off with the chicken which meant he had to be tied to a post for the duration of the ceremony!