Lucky symbols and beliefs in Thailand

What are spirit houses?

A spirit house, or ศาลพระภูมิ (san phra phum), is a small shrine built for the guardian spirits of a piece of land. You will find them outside homes, shops, hotels and office towers, usually raised on a pillar and often shaped like a miniature temple or Thai house.

Offerings are left to keep the spirits content and to support requests for protection or favours: flowers, incense, candles, water or soft drinks, fruit and sometimes small figurines. In cities it is a common sight to see people stop at a shrine each morning on their way to work. A new spirit house is usually consecrated in a ceremony led by a Brahmin priest or a Buddhist monk.

The same respect for spirits shapes small everyday habits: many Thais avoid stepping on the threshold of a doorway, which is traditionally believed to be home to spirits.

Why are jasmine garlands everywhere?

Flower garlands, พวงมาลัย (phuang malai), are among the most common offerings in Thailand. Made from jasmine, marigolds and other flowers, they are hung on spirit houses and Buddha images, placed in temples and given as a sign of respect. Drivers often hang one from the rear-view mirror for a safe journey.

What is merit-making?

Making merit, ทำบุญ (tham bun), is a Buddhist practice linked to karma: doing good deeds is believed to bring blessings in this life and the next. The most visible form is the morning alms round, ตักบาตร (tak bat), when monks walk through the streets and laypeople place food in their bowls, usually early in the morning. Monks may not handle money, so offerings are food, flowers and everyday necessities.

Donors traditionally give barefoot, in silence and with their hands joined, and the monks offer a blessing in return. On religious holidays and at the start and end of Buddhist Lent, people prepare larger offerings at temples.

Sacred trees and lottery hopes

Old trees wrapped in colourful cloth are believed to house spirits, especially the female spirit Nang Ta-khian of the ta-khian tree. Some people visit them before a lottery draw, hoping for a number in a dream or a sign in the bark. Our guide to lucky numbers in Thai culture covers these rituals, and why they do not change the odds.

City shrines

Many Thai cities have a หลักเมือง (lak mueang), a city pillar believed to house the guardian spirit of the city. Bangkok's was the very first monument of the new capital when King Rama I moved it from Thonburi in 1782. It stands in a shrine near the Grand Palace, where people bring flowers and food and bow before the pillar for luck and success; those whose wishes come true sometimes pay for traditional dances as thanks.

Some shrines are famous in their own right. In Bangkok, the Erawan Shrine at the Ratchaprasong intersection is dedicated to the Hindu god Brahma, and worshippers leave garlands and small wooden elephants. Busy city shrines show how Brahmin, Buddhist and folk traditions overlap in modern Thai life.

How to visit respectfully

• Do not touch, move or take offerings, even if they look abandoned.
• Dress modestly at temples and larger shrines, and remove your shoes before entering temple buildings.
• If you join an alms round, follow local guidance, stay quiet and do not touch the monks.
• Ask before photographing people who are praying or making offerings.

For festivals, greetings and temple etiquette, see our guide to Thai culture.

Further reading

For more on lucky numbers and the beliefs behind them, see the lucky numbers section on ChokLotto (external site, opens in a new tab), a separate website.