In a country like Thailand, where so much can be considered sacred, except law, people are willing to pay respects to anything they believe will bring them “good things” or even just “good feelings”.

Buddhism teaches people not to worship anything – but instead counsels people to exercise their intellect to consider the nature of life and release their minds from suffering. Nevertheless, Buddhists in Thailand seem ready to worship everything that is against the Lord Buddha’s teaching.

They build a Buddha image for the entire country to worship. Individuals have amulets and many similar objects consecrated by famous Buddhist monks to worship at home and to carry around for luck and self-protection.

Sacred objects are common in Thailand’s Theravada Buddhism sect. They are included under Buddhism as they are recognised by many religious personnel, monks included. In recent memory, we have had “Look Krok” and “Kumarn Thong” – icons made of the body of a baby boy who died before or during delivery. In another society, a wizard might function to “spiritualise” such items as sacred objects, but in Thailand it is Buddhist monks who learn black magic to give them the breath of life.