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ลำดับตอนที่ #13 : (ลูกเทพ) The privileged world of Thailand's supernatural dolls
Their name, "luk thep",
literally translates as "child angels" and people believe they bring
good fortune and they are pampered
by their owners as if they were children.
But the privileges lavished upon them have also
drawn a backlash
and warnings from Thai authorities.
They get blessings from Buddhist monks
After purchasing a doll, the
owner brings it to a monk who conducts a prayer and an anointing ceremony known as "plook
sek".
Such prayers are normally used to
bless lucky amulets,
which are also popular in Thailand, where ancient beliefs in magic are still prevalent.
In the case of "luk
thep", it is often seen as a way of animating the doll, where a wandering spirit is invited
to inhabit it and give it a soul.
They can get airline seats - sort
of
Thai Smile Airways made news this
week when it said passengers could purchase tickets for the dolls who would get
their own seats, snacks and drinks. But officials have since stepped in:
"Based on international aviation rules, passengers are people. So
airlines aren't allowed to sell tickets for dolls," a spokesman for the
Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand was quoted as saying in The Bangkok Post.
Passengers can buy a second seat
under their names and place their "luk theps" there, he added.
They get to eat in fancy
restaurants
At least one eatery in Bangkok
has cashed in on the trend. Neta Grill said earlier this week it is offering
meals for "luk theps" at child rates, adding that the restaurant is
"open to all worshippers".
They get love and affection - and
sometimes bling
Several owners told BBC Thai that
the doll was more than just a talisman, they treat them like their own children.
"My daughter wants a sister
and friend. In her school, her friends also have luk thep... so my daughter
wants to have one like other people," one buyer said.
Doting owners have been known to splash out on expensive
accessories and jewellery for their dolls.
Anthropologist Asama Mungkornchai from
Pattani's Prince of Songkla University said the dolls appear to be particularly
popular with middle-class women, and could "fulfill the need for
motherhood" among such owners.
But the fact that many say they
need it for good luck and wealth also highlights "a current sense of
insecurity among the Thai middle class, especially when it comes to the
economy", she added.
But there are critics
On Monday, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha urged
Thais not to get carried
away with the trend and not to buy the dolls if they cannot afford them,
reported broadcaster Thai PBS.
The price of a doll can range
from 1,500 baht (£29, $42) to tens of thousands of baht.
The police have also expressed
concern that doll sellers have been evading import taxes, and that the dolls could be used to smuggle drugs if they
were allowed on planes.
Earlier this week, police in
Chiang Mai intercepted
a doll loaded with 200 tablets of the popular recreational drug
"yaba".
Even religious questions have been raised about the
appropriateness of conducting Buddhist rituals on the dolls. The trend has
sparked a backlash online, with some criticising owners as being superstitious.
But the National Office of
Buddhism told Thai PBS the "plook sek" ritual was no different from blessings given by
monks for other objects such as cars, a practice that is already widely
accepted.
Pra Acharn Winai Thitapanyo, a
monk at Bua Kwan temple which is known for its doll blessings, told BBC Thai:
"As it does not violate our monkhood discipline, monk can recite incantations to please people."
craze (n.)
an activity, object, or idea that is extremely popular, usually for a short time:
eerily (adj.)
strange in a frightening and
mysterious way:
pampered (v.)
to
give someone special treatment, making that person as comfortable as possible and giving
them whatever they want:
privileges (n.)
an advantage that
only one person or group of people has, usually because of their position or because they are rich:
lavished
lavish something onsomeone/something
› to give a lot or too much of something to
someone or something:
backlash (n.)
a strong feeling among a group of people in reaction to a change or recent events in society or politics:
anoint (v.)
to make someone holy in a religious ceremony by putting holy water or oil on them
amulets, (n.)
an object worn because it is believed to protect against evil, disease, or unhappiness
prevalent. (adj.)
existing very commonly or happening often:
wander (v.) to walk around slowly in a relaxed way or without any clear purpose or direction:
aviation (n.)
the activity of flying aircraft, or of designing, producing, and keeping them in good condition:
talisman, (n.)
an object believed to bring good luck or to keep its ownersafe from harm
Doting (adj.)
showing that you love someone very much:
Anthropologist (n.)
someone who scientifically studies humans and theircustoms, beliefs, and relationships
carried away
to become so excited about
something that you do not control what you say
or do:
to cause someone to become very excited and to losecontrol:
evade (v.)
to avoid or escape from someone
or something:
smuggle (v.)
to take things or
people to or from a place secretly and often illegally:
intercept (v.)
to stop and catch something or someone before that thing or person is able to reach a particular place:
superstitious.(n.)
belief that
is not based on human reason or scientificknowledge, but is connected with
old ideas about magic, etc.:
ritual (n.)
a set of fixed actions and sometimes words performedregularly, especially as
part of a ceremony:
discipline (n.)
training that makes people more willing to obey or more able to control themselves,
often in the form of rules,
and punishments if these are broken,
or the behaviour producedby this training:
the ability to control yourself or
other people, even in difficult situations:
recite (v.)
to
say a piece of writing aloud from memory,
or to publiclysay a list of things:
incantations (n.)
(the
performance of) words that
are believed to have a magical effect when spoken or sung:
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