The people of the Land of Smiles have always been known to be rather superstitious.
They believe in the powers of the supernatural, the benefits as well as the consequences of dabbling with them.
In 2016, there was a craze over the powers of supernatural dolls.
Thai people, including celebrities, buy these eerily life-like dolls and brought them around.
Expensive restaurants, overseas, literally everywhere they go they will take their dolls.
Called “Luk Thep” also known as “Child Angels”. They’re infant-like dolls that have very angelic faces.
Basically, the type of looks that any mother would want for her child.
Doesn’t the doll look angelic and real?
How Did It Start?
This fad was mainly started by Mae Ning, a local radio DJ, a doll seller and a self-professed Hindu ritual expert.
She mentioned it on air that “these dolls have supernatural powers” and Thailand went crazy.
Buddhist monks and fortunetellers started conducting rituals to put “spirits” into the dolls and celebrities started to bring them around.
Believed To Bring Fortune And Luck
These dolls are believed to be able to bring fortune and luck to the owner. Typically the dolls are imported but they’ll be brought to a Buddhist monk to be blessed.
The monk will conduct a prayer and a ritual ceremony in Thailand known as the “plook sek”.
NaiveBoy84: Wait, that’s not creepy. I mean, it’s merely blessed, right?
Yup, unless the ceremony’s meant to invite a wandering spirit to live in the doll.
NaiveBoy84: Yeah, unless-wait, is that what happened?
Yes.
Creepy. or just plain creepy?
It’s Like A Real Child
The dolls can cost upwards of $100 and they are treated like normal children, some even becoming a replacement for women who are unable to have children.
Some women say that looking after their luk thep makes them feel more motherly.
The supernatural dolls are also dressed to the nines, in pretty clothes and luxurious items just like any other human.
And it is believed that the better you treat your doll, the more fortune you will receive. Some have even gone to the extent of getting Botox injections for their dolls!
These dolls are also pampered and given amulets to bless the dolls even more.
But there’s a caveat: if the dolls bring fortune to the owners, the owners will treat them well.
But if the doll brings misfortune and things go wrong, these dolls are usually abandoned at a shrine that treats them well.
Controversy Over Supernatural Dolls
When you have a huge trend, what happens? Well, businesses jumping on the bandwagon, for one.
Thai Smile Airways started offering seats for these supernatural dolls. Previously these dolls were treated as carry-on luggage. The airlines decided to allow passengers to buy seats for their dolls.
However, the Thai government has stepped in and disallowed the sale of tickets to dolls.
One such reason was due to the smuggling of drugs overseas by using these dolls. The police had caught a smuggler attempting to bring in 200 methamphetamine “speed” pills at Chiang Mai international airport.
However, like another supernatural craze, the luk thep dolls fad died down.
And all you’re left with is eerily life-like dolls which have a spirit within.
Chucky Asian version, anybody?
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