|
|
Spotlight
Spooks and spells
 |
 |
By Suwitcha Chaiyong, Photos by Varuth Hirunyatheb and Suwitcha Chaiyong and courtesy of Virgin Radio and Get Radio
Locals look for luck
Even in today�s fast-paced, hi-tech world, people like to believe in mysterious forces that are beyond the explanations of science. The recent amulet craze in Thailand proved that people these days are just as superstitious as ever.
With Halloween about to bring ghouls and ghosts out onto the streets, Student Weekly asked local celebrities and students about their beliefs in spooks and superstitions.
 |
�I believe in fortune and luck. I reached this point in my career because of good luck. There are lots of great singers out there, but they don�t have the luck to be in the spotlight.�
Anusara
Wantongtak (Preaw)
22,
singer
 |
�I believe in fortune, but I�m not very lucky. I recently had a serious conflict with somebody, so I asked Brahma for help. When the problem was solved, I made a votive offering of traditional Thai dancing.
Apiwat
Pongwat (Neung)
29,
vocalist and drummer with ETC
 |
�I made a votive offering to Brahma to pass my university entrance exam. I promised that if I passed the entrance exam, I�d walk from Brahma at Erawan to my house in Soi Thonglor off Sukhumvit Road. I did it on a rainy day.�
Juti
Rungvuengvayupkul (Tae)
22,
bassist with No More Tear
 |
�I keep lucky charms that people give me, and I always chose my car number plate carefully.
�I made a votive prayer to Chao Phraya Bodindecha (Sing Singhaseni) when I wanted to enter Bodindecha School. A senior suggested that I offer salapao with chicken. I did, and I got in.�
Napasson
Buranasiri (Momay)
27, Easy
FM DJ
 |
�I go to fortune tellers, but I don�t believe everything they say. If somebody told me that I have to dispel my misfortune, I�d do it � as long as it�s not difficult and doesn�t cost anything.�
Anyaporn
WongwoNthianun
19,
university student
 |
�Fifteen is my lucky number because I was born on the 15th. I wear the number 15 T-shirt in my football team. Our team has never won, but I still believe that it�s my lucky number.
�I don�t believe in dispelling misfortune. If we do good things, everything will be fine.�
Suttiplon
Boaanon (Ice)
21,
drummer with No More Tear
 |
�In high school I prayed and asked Brahma to help me pass the university entrance exam.
�My friends offered traditional dancing and wooden elephants, but I thought that Brahma might be bored with those things, so I offered a Big Mac instead.
�I was the only one out of my group of friends to pass the entrance exam.�
Nammon
Prompiem
30-something
Get Radio DJ
 |
�My two lucky numbers are eight and nine. I feel confident when these numbers appear in my private or business matters. My lucky colour is red. To feel good, I have to have red things with me every day.�
Mongkol
Ongpattana-kul(TiTee)
26 Virgin Soft DJ
 |
�Six is my unlucky number. I saw a fortune teller last New Year�s because I wanted to know what was going to happen to me. I only believe the positive predictions.�
Nongnuch
Pornchottaweesap
17, student
 |
�If a fortune teller warns me to avoid danger, then I�ll take special care. I used to make votive prayers to win academic competitions, but I don�t anymore. I just try to believe in myself.�
Pasu Na
Songkhla
17,
student
 |
�I believe in ghosts. I experienced one when my relative passed away. I smelled Thai-style perfume in the room, and I believe that it was the ghost of my dead aunt.�
Natthapol
Pongthawornwich
19,
university student
 |
�I�m a bit superstitious. I read predictions in magazines, but I don�t believe everything that they forecast. If the predictions say that I might have an accident, I�ll be careful.�
Lertsak
Chitvarakorn
18,
student
 |
�A fortune teller once said that I�d get hurt from exercise. I was particularly careful during badminton practise, but the accident happened during a physical education class.
�My lucky colour is red. If I wear red during a badminton competition, I usually win.�
Prang
Chenathun
16,
student
 |
 |
|
 |
mysterious
(adj): difficult to
understand or explain; strange superstitious (adj): believing that particular events happen in a way that cannot be explained by reason or science; the belief that particular events bring good or bad luck ghoul (n): an evil spirit spook (n): a ghost fortune (n): chance or luck, especially in the way it affects people�s lives Brahma (n): a Hindu god votive (adj): presented to a god as a sign of thanks charm (n): a small object worn on a chain or bracelet that is believed to bring good luck misfortune (n): bad luck dispel (v): to make something, especially a feeling or belief, go away or disappear prediction (n): a statement that says what you think will happen forecast (n): a statement about what will happen in the future, based on information that is available now |
 |