Tomoyo Onda

TSEA Per. 7

Oct 1. 2009

Ms. Clover

Interview on Animist Beliefs in Thailand

Name of Person Interviewed: Fuda Swan Te Ban Run

Nickname: Tik

Occupation: a housewife

Age: 40

Relationship to the interviewer: Neighborhood; My friend’s mother who married to Japanese.

Language in which interview was conducted: Japanese

Date of interview: Oct. 1, 2009

Place of interview: Her house

1. Are you a Buddhist? What are some things you do to practice your religion?

She is a Buddhist. She wais before the spirit house when she goes by, she goes to see astrologer and goes to

Wat. She believes almost everything the teaching of Buddha from monks.

2. Is there a spirit house at your home? Why?

She had three spirit houses at her house to respect the spirits. One for gods, one for spirit guardians of the

land and one for her family’s ancestors.

If family got serious sick and illness, they go to the biggest spirit house in the village and pray for their

health.

3. How often do you visit it? What do you do there?

Her family goes to the spirit house and wat daily. Her father wakes up at 2:00am to prepare some foods for

his parents and feeds his parents at 6:00am. After that, they go to the spirit house and wat to offer food to

spirits and monks and they offer sticks of incense for spirits in spirit house. Her family believes that if they

feed and respect for her parents, and she also can be fed after she dies.

4. Is there a spirit house at your place of work? Why?

No, she does not work.

5. How often do you visit it? What do you do there?

Not at all.

6. Do you have an amulet? Why? If you have one, do you wear it? When?

She has many amulets to protect herself from any evil ghost or sickness. She got them from wat. It is kind of

white cord to hope their health. She wears it all the time except she does housework. When she has to take

off it, she disentangle a cord, not cut it. Cutting a cord shows her death.

7. Have you ever had an experience with a ghost? What happened?

She has a lot of experience with ghosts. The first time she noticed a man, but she did not know that that man

is already died few weeks ago at that time. She heard that that person already died after she met the ghost.

Sometimes she feels like someone near by her with the strong wind. People who already dead knocked the

door at 2:00am or 3:00am. If she had such experiences, she offer sticks of incense to avoid evil spirits come

in to her.

8. Do you know anyone else who has had an experience with a ghost? What happened?

Her daughter has a lot of sensitivity to ghosts. She also can see the people who already died. But she is not

afraid with of ghosts because if she was scared of them, it shows she is weak and just calls more ghosts to

come to her.

9. Have you ever been to an astrologer? What advice did you ask for? What did he tell you?

When she was 3rd grade, the blind old woman visited at her house to begging some food and water.

Suddenly, she grabbed her hand and said about her future. She said, “You can marry someone sooner than

your older sister. You are going to marry a man who is older than you. You will go somewhere over seas.”

These predictions were all correct. Now, she married to a Japanese man who is older than she and she lived

in Japan for 20 years.

10. Have you ever been to a ceremony to rid a house of bad spirits? If so, please describe the

ceremony.

Her father can do it. He scatters rice all around house then he goes to the door to show ghost the where exit

is. He touches everywhere where seems like ghost exist and repeat the name of Buddha.

11. Have you ever been to a “bai sri” ceremony?

Yes, it is the ceremony that people use banana leaf and flowers. And people give it to tell elder showing

appreciation and apology. And people lower their head to their feet to show thanks and sorry.

12. Do you have a tattoo? Do you know anyone who has a tattoo? Why did you get one?

Her father has a tattoo to show he is the strongest person in his house. He is the central pillar of his house.

As having a tattoo, he has to protect everything for his family. People can not sleep with people who have a

tattoo except their wife and children because they are so strong and should be respect by others.