Thai netizens laugh at foreign woman who mistook spirit house for a table

In a video circulating on social media, a foreign woman surrounded by Strawberry Fanta is spotted sitting on a stool and using a spirit house as a table, blissfully unaware of the Thais around her paying their respects to the spirits. The act could be considered very disrespectful to Thai culture, but Thai netizens seem to be entertained, rather than offended, at the woman’s cultural faux pas.

Spirit houses are found in every corner of Thailand and are intended to appease ghosts by giving them a place to live so they don’t bother haunting people. You’ll see them out the front of most offices, larger buildings and many private homes and public buildings.

Thai people replenish their spirit houses with offerings daily to keep the spirits at bay. Marigolds, fruits and juice cartons are among favourite offerings left at spirit houses.

But the most common offering of all has to be strawberry flavoured Fanta. More strawberry Fanta is sold in Thailand than in the US or China, but most of the bottles go unopened. A modern twist on an old school tradition, strawberry Fanta replaced blood from animal sacrifices as an offering to the spirit world. Also, spirits are thought to love sweet things. With 32 grams of sugar in each bottle, strawberry Fanta is certainly sweet.

In the video, the foreign woman is completely unaware of the Thai people around her going about their business as usual – lighting incense, praying and bringing their hands together in the ‘Wai’ position as they approach the spirit house.

Thai netizens made light of the situation…

“The foreigner said, ‘Thai people have such good manners, all of them have Wai-d to me as they walked past!’”

“I’m just glad the foreigner didn’t think the red Fanta was for her.”

“Ain’t nobody going to tell her? Haha.”

“If you don’t know, it’s not wrong.”

@tiktikphonkaset

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SOURCE: Tiktikphonkaset