Caution: Spirits Within

Bangkok is one large city. Many times in the past I have heard of such towering metropolis’ referred to as “concrete jungles”. A jungle, like any ecosystem, is in a mosaic state of life, in a constant interdependent flow of cyclical relations of life, death, and then new life. Cities likewise build, crumble, and then rebuild. But amidst the aspiring towers and aging giants of the Bangkok skyline are structures that are neither falling, nor rising. These are simply abandoned. But someone is said to live in those buildings.

A vacant building or home is a place of lore. Everyone either knows or has heard of a place that is vacant and said to be haunted. There seems to be an erie aura to a dwelling where noone lives. All that remains is what may have once been a home and the spirits of what has passed.

Spirits and ghosts are present in folklore of most cultures. Everyone seeks the answer to the question of what happens when they die. People in Thailand also harbor beliefs of beyond the grave. Spirits are said to inhabit the Earth and watch those in the waking life. Our ancestors are watching and listening, so say the Thai’s. They build spirit houses outside of their own homes so the spirits will have places to stay other than the larger house within which they live. To an outsider such as myself these spirit houses seem to be bird houses elaborate as palaces or temples. I don’t pretend to fully understand this practice as I am not a devout Buddhist, however, to observe is to learn. People will offer meals of food, crack a bottle of Fanta, and burn incense at the doors of these spirit houses whilst saying forms of blessings or prayers. It appears this is an offering to their ancestors and those of others that may have chosen to occupy these spirit houses. Even in the parking lot of Tesco Lotus (a store like Walmart or Superstore) has a spirit house in the parking lot outfit complete with an offered meal and bottle soda. I suppose that keeps those pesky spirits out of the frozen food isle at least.

I originally thought that with Bangkok having such a large population there would be a shortage of housing. Especially after seeing how many people live in sheet-metal shacks, I assumed that most houses and apartments would be readily occupied. But since then I have learned it commonly believed that spirits occupy all dwellings that are left vacant for any length of time. If an apartment is not rented for the course of several months, it is readily believed that spirits have since taken over the lease so to speak and noone ventures forth to challenge the occupancy. Entire neighborhoods of houses can be found to lie mostly vacant with only the odd group of falangs or other non-believers renting a lone residence for next to no money due to the fact that the house is no longer under demand.

These spirits don’t only occupy former homes. When driving on the highway across the skyline of Bangkok one sees many buildings that have been left in the process of being built and are never to be resumed due to the belief that spirits now infest the half-erected structures. I have heard that in 1998 there was a major crash of the Thai economy causing many large building projects to become abandoned in the middle of their construction. Apparently by the time building funds were recovered it was believed that spirits had already claimed the potential revenue properties. The properties around them are worth millions with bustling businesses, offices, and high-end condo’s, but these “spirits within” buildings standing right beside them remain bereft of life. These skeletons of the concrete jungle stand there amidst their lively brothers like lone giants waiting for the life that never was, their spirits within settling like birds to a nest with no visitors arriving.

It is easy to look at cultural differences such as these and laugh bitterly at the folly of those we don’t understand but we all cross our fingers at some time or another. Perhaps many people here are superstitious of spirits, but all people are afraid of what they do not understand and that remains the source of most bitter laughter. I too have heard of haunted houses and would tend to avoid renting a place where someone came to an untimely death. And so, I hope we can all respect the spirits in their dwellings, whether or not they are truly there. I would hope that I may have such a nice home in the afterlife as many of those who remain in the spirit houses I see. Besides, what if noone serves Fanta in the afterlife?


There’s a house on my block that’s abandoned and cold
and the folks moved out of it a long time ago
and they took all their things
and they never came back
it looks like it’s haunted with the wind that’s all cracked
and everybody calls it the house, the house where nobody lives
-Tom Waits, “House Where Nobody Lives” – Mule Variations