Why is superstition so prevalent in Thailand and what does it mean for decision-making by leading figures?
The southern Thai city of Nakhon Sri Thammarat has been enjoying an economic boom in recent months. Millions of Thai visitors have flocked to the city to buy the Jatukam Rammathep amulets. These amulets are designed to be worn around the neck and are several inches across and circular. Proper, authentic Jatukam amulets should only be bought from designated wats and the monks who live in them. The amulets are believed to possess a variety of different magical or sacred powers, mostly to do with protecting the wearer from disease, accident or ill-health. Many Thais proudly wear the amulets around their necks openly, showing their power to the rest of the world. Wealthy people may ‘clothe’ the amulets in gold for greater efficacy.
The Jatukam-rush has had some mixed results: riots have broken out to gain new models or varieties and there has been violence and even deaths among the struggles to be first. Various pious Buddhists have renounced the practice as being superficial and damaging. Nevertheless, amulet and icon selling stalls have sprung up all across the Kingdom. This is not surprising as there is a strong element of superstition both in Thai society but also in many Buddhist societies. Buddhism tends to flourish in syncretic societies where it overlays and complements older, animist traditions. Hence, people can be both good Buddhists and still believe in the need to appease spirits of the air or mountains, ghosts and demons from various other traditions. Consequently, especially when there has been an infusion of Tibetan, lamaist Buddhism, people are more likely to accept superstitious beliefs, magic spells, charms and gadgets of all kinds.
The very highest people in the land are susceptible to these beliefs. One senior general of the Burmese junta, for example, believed his lucky number to be 87 and so all bank notes were issued in multiples of that rather awkward number. The current Thai military junta regularly travels en masse to visit monks said to have powers to predict the future. In the months leading up to the September 2006 military coup, numerous rumours flew around the country of the visits of both sides to certain Cambodian monks who specialized, it was said, in black magic. Feng shui also became an important weapon, as familiar Bangkok landmarks were, overnight, relocated or repositioned to take advantage of positive energy flows. Understanding that this is going on helps to explain why some decisions are made which appear to be so strange but does not really help people to work with the results.
