Is meeting Thai ghosts fun? The Phi Ta Khon Ghost Festival in Loei sees crowds of ghosts taking to the streets for mischief

By MOOK Travel Life Network, Li Xinyi, compiled and reported

If Bangkok represents vibrancy and modern trends, Phuket stands for leisure and picturesque scenery, and Chiang Mai embodies simplicity and the essence of northern Thailand, then Thailand’s northeastern region is an ancient cultural hub—an essential part of understanding Thailand. Loei (Loei) is an unassuming small province in the northeast, but in recent years it has gained worldwide fame for the “Phi Ta Khon Ghost Festival.” Compared to Halloween in the West or the Hungry Ghost Festival on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month in China, it has its own unique way of expression—surprising, lively, yet not frightening. This year’s Phi Ta Khon Ghost Festival will be held from June 22 to 24.

Tracing back to the origins of the Ghost Festival, there is a poignant and sorrowful love story. It’s about a passionate young couple deeply in love, where the woman was the daughter of a high-ranking official, while the man was merely a serf. The vast difference in their social status forced them to elope, but with pursuers hot on their heels, they hid together in a cave within a Buddhist stupa. Unexpectedly, the cave entrance was later sealed by villagers, and the devoted couple starved to death inside, eventually turning into vengeful spirits that guarded the treasures beneath the stupa. Due to vivid tales and descriptions, people portrayed the ghost couple as having terrifying, green-faced, fang-bearing visages. Not only did this cause widespread fear among the populace, but even the local lesser spirits were intimidated by the prominence of these mighty ghost spirits and came to pledge their allegiance.

However, the mass gathering of ghosts to pay homage disturbed the public, causing nearby villagers to live in fear. Eventually, the villagers could only pray for the ghosts not to emerge and disrupt their lives, and they began holding regular ceremonies to honor them—thus giving rise to the tradition of the Ghost Festival. In the northeast, the festival is called “Peetakone,” meaning “fierce ghost faces.” Therefore, during the annual celebration, people of all ages, both adults and children, wear ghost masks made from coconut leaves and bamboo strips, which are grotesque and terrifying, along with colorful, tasseled ghost costumes that flutter as they move. They also carry iron cans, metal sheets, and other metallic objects that jingle and clatter with every step. The ghost figures wield wooden swords and knives, but what’s even more peculiar is that each ghost holds a hand-carved wooden phallus of varying sizes. Most amusingly, the tip of each phallus is painted bright red, making it strikingly vivid. Some ghost-costumed men playfully offer their oversized phalluses to girls as “treasures,” startling some of the girls into screams. Normally, such mischief would be met with scolding or even a punch, but during the Phi Ta Khon Ghost Festival, such antics are tolerated. The sight of crowds of ghosts swarming the streets would normally be terrifying, but the festival has infused it with plenty of fun, creating a lively atmosphere akin to a grand carnival.

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