regarded in the inner-group, are of a far lesser importance in the world of the
outer-group. There, the so-called law of the jungle rules, the amoral and sometimes
also the immoral worldly and supernatural power (am-naj li-lab). To be able to
survive personally and socially, the individual has to beg for the protection and the
favors of these powers and not upset them in any way.
Power is the most central element in the Thai worldview. The way in which Thai
deal with power and submit themselves to it is essentially animistic. Animism does
not attempt to explain the complexity of everyday reality on the basis of“rational”
and universal principles, but reduces the world into simplistic categories such as
“us”and“them,”insiders and outsiders. The insiders and their ancestors form the
natural center of the universe. The inner-group offers continuity, stability, and
protection; outside of that there is chaos and danger in which the Thai feels
threatened by all sorts of supernatural powers. In this realm of“phi”(spirits), there
are many amoral, but also immoral spirits who each are supposed to be favoured
with a certain function or quality. Some are more active than others, but no definite
hierarchy can be perceived. So what matters most for the Thai is to try to stay on
friendly terms with as many as possible, or to protect against them. The veryfirst
word almost every Thai child learns is“phi”and to this word is generally appended
the adjective“laug”(haunting). They are warned that if they do not behave in a
pleasing and appropriate way, they will have to give account to the“phi laug”
(haunting spirit), who will mete out the severest punishment. In almost every house,
one willfind aphra-phoomor a spirit house. The house spirit is believed to protect
the land and its inhabitants for as long as they honor him in a suitable manner (e.g.,
by paying homage to him and/or bringing him some food). Some spirits are
believed to protect certain places such as forests, mountains, and land; others cure
illnesses, assist in protecting from accidents, or“reveal” the winning lottery
numbers. At the same time, the Thai can, with the aid of objects, actions, or persons
of influence, protect themselves to the possible danger of haunting spirits. Holy
objects (sing saksit) such as Buddha images or amulets or pha pra-jiad or pha-yan (a
piece of cloth inscribed with mantra), astrologers, magic monks are believed to offer
protection. In this way, the Thai surround themselves with a sort of protective
“aura”(Srichampa 2014 ).
Everyone, that is both a person with good or bad intentions, can invoke pro-
tection or favors of a higher power or can try to neutralize a potential negative
influence in the outer world. To do so they have to follow a clearly laid out
ceremony or ritual that can be different from spirit to spirit. For instance, some
spirits are believed to like entertainments such as classical dance, others prefer red
soda pop or khanom bua-loy (a kind of dessert soup made of glutinous rice balls in
sweetened coconut milk). As the artifacts of the society change, the“taste”of the
spirits also changes. If a wish is not granted, the Thai dare not question the expertise
or power of the spirit. Rather, they will look for a cause or explanation in their own
behavior. Perhaps the individual did not honor the spirit in the correct way, or
perhaps the spirit’s pride was, for unknown reasons, injured. Another often quoted
explanation may be that another power stood in the way of the fulfillment of the
wish. As it is characteristic of these spirits, because their power does not come from
4.3 A Rural Village Culture 53