Mysterious goings on - nobody dares move the shrine in the middle of the road!

[webfact]

Mysterious goings on - nobody dares move the shrine in the middle of the road!


Image: Sanook

UDON THANI: -- Visitors to a small village in Udon Thani in the north east of Thailand could be forgiven for thinking that the locals are a little potty when they see a shrine in the middle of the road. But those who have dissed the shrine have met with quick and violent death.

While those that respect its awesome power have enjoyed nothing but success and prosperity, reported Sanook.

The shrine is in the village of Ban Nong Kungsri in Nong Kungsri district. It has all the usual trappings of a village shrine - models of elephants, horses, dolls and suchlike adorn its base. There are offerings aplenty of rice and drinks to satisfy the spirits.

But it just happens to be in the middle of the intersection at the heart of the village making it unusual.

Poo Yai Ban (village headman) Thongsa Chartphaengta, 45, is well aware of the history of his village and the background to why the shrine is there. He said that the village came into existence in 1932 and at present there were 215 houses and 856 people living there, mostly farmers.

The shrine used to be in a different location years ago but following the death of many people in a cholera outbreak it was moved to its present location that was just a dirt track at the time.

Some years later the local authority wanted to pave the road so a meeting with all in the village was convened to decide what to do about the shrine. There was a heated debate with some wanting to move it and some thinking it should be left where it was.

At the meeting one man spoke disrespectfully about the shrine and even shocked villagers by pointing in its direction with his foot - a complete no-no in Thai culture. After the meeting broke up the man walked home and within minutes he was dead.

He was flattened by a ten wheel truck.

Later some road workers were in the area. One of the men thought having a shrine in the road was a stupid idea and was heard to use rude words when referring to it. In no time whatsoever the man involved had his head flattened by a passing plough dying on the spot.

Since these incidents no one has even dared mention moving the shrine.

In fact the complete opposite has occurred, said Thongsa. It has now been there for several generations. It was a wooden structure but after that rotted a cement one was placed in the same location.

Villagers who pray to the shrine get success and happiness. Students pass their exams, there is prosperity and everyone lives in peace and harmony in the village, he said.

And no one wants to jeopardize that by moving the shrine that will stay in the middle of the road.

Source: Sanook


-- 2016-07-28

[Chapelroad]

The drivers will have more respect for this, than other traffic and pedestrians, and might actually slow down on approaching it !

Not a bad thing.

[Somtamnication]

Yep, wish we had middle of the road shrines where I live. Everyone will slow down, take their hands of the wheel and wai.

[halloween]

A "passing plough" ?? Something lost in translation perhaps?

I have to wonder about the level of success and prosperity of those who respect its awesome power.

[NongKhaiKid]

Students pass their exams !

That's not unusual here and doesn't involve praying at a shrine.

[Thian]

Yep, wish we had middle of the road shrines where I live. Everyone will slow down, take their hands of the wheel and wai.

My wife can even wai to shrines that are in a corner of the road...and wai with both hands while driving. Maybe she 's also on the phone at the same time, can happen.

[ratcatcher]

A "passing plough" ?? Something lost in translation perhaps?

I have to wonder about the level of success and prosperity of those who respect its awesome power.

"The plowman homeward plods his weary way,

And leaves the world to darkness and to me. "

Use the Gray matter.

[55Jay]

Yep, wish we had middle of the road shrines where I live. Everyone will slow down, take their hands of the wheel and wai.

That's precisely what the drivers of the 10-wheel truck and farming plough were doing when they flattened those two guys who, by sheer coincidence, also believed the world is not flat.

[ezzra]

Soon, this shrine will grow with the help of some local entrepreneurs to include coffee place, food court

and a massage parlor... this is most of business in Thailand start.....

[colinneil]

If we had a shrine in the middle of the road here, i would not be in a wheelchair.

The crazy bugger would have slowed down.

[WhizBang]

What is wrong with this country. Does no one have a functioning brain? (Retorical question, by the way).

[JAG]

A "passing plough" ?? Something lost in translation perhaps?

I have to wonder about the level of success and prosperity of those who respect its awesome power.

"The plowman homeward plods his weary way,

And leaves the world to darkness and to me. "

Use the Gray matter.

I'm waiting for "Eligius" to post a comment!

☺☺

[MCos]

What is wrong with this country. Does no one have a functioning brain? (Retorical question, by the way).

Judging by your comment you are a resident of Thailand, but I expect you exclude yourself from this comment because you are superior to the locals.

[Hawk]

Absolutely brilliant idea to put that lovely shrine where it is, and it looks beautiful as well. ( Now I should win on the lottery this week)

[tukkytuktuk]

Sometimes by the roadside a small standalone Spirit House can be found. The reason for this is so that spirits who haunt the place are given a home and they will not endanger the drivers who pass it. Some Spirit Houses on to road were built to pacify the tormented spirits of people who have died in violent deaths in crashes at that site.

In the same way cars, trucks and taxis display garlands of flowers to protect the occupants of the vehicle on the journey.

A famous Spirit House, the Erwan Shrine, at the Phloenchit intersection in Bangkok is the most famous Spirit House in Thailand and is popular among tourists from Asia because it is considered a place where the gods usually grant them what they request.

http://www.huahintoday.com/thailand-news/thai-spirit-houses-sanphaphoom/

[sweatalot]

Absolutely brilliant idea to put that lovely shrine where it is, and it looks beautiful as well. ( Now I should win on the lottery this week)

please let us know - may be I shall try this, too

[DrTuner]

Give a Somchai keys to the pickup and a bottle of laukhao and it'll be sorted in a couple of hours when he drives over the stuff.

[Dagnabbit]

A "passing plough" ?? Something lost in translation perhaps?

I have to wonder about the level of success and prosperity of those who respect its awesome power.

It would explain the state of the roads....

[tukkytuktuk]

Some extra photos of the spirit house in question.

Some rules regarding Spirit Houses:

To photograph someone during prayer at the Spirit House should be avoided as it is a place of worship, or at least ask for permission first.

Never put your feet on any religious item, such as Spirit Houses or statues.

Don’t touch items in someone’s Spirit House.

[Bluespunk]

People die after 'dissing' the shrine?

What a pile of crap.

[55Jay]

What is wrong with this country. Does no one have a functioning brain? (Retorical question, by the way).

Judging by your comment you are a resident of Thailand, but I expect you exclude yourself from this comment because you are superior to the locals.

It's hard not to feel a bit superior to people crawling around on their hands and knees praying to figurines and bowls of fruit placed in the middle of the bloody road.

[DaddyWarbucks]

People die after 'dissing' the shrine?

What a pile of crap.

Have the courage of your convictions... go up there and do some serious 'dissing'.

If you can document some rowdy behaviour at the shrine with photos or video, and at the same time telling the locals you think it's all crap, I will send you a bottle of Scotch whiskey.

I'm serious. Feel free to PM me for more details.

Ever yours in demolishing the primitive animist beliefs of the Thais and making them more like us.

DW

[gdgbb]

Absolutely brilliant idea to put that lovely shrine where it is, and it looks beautiful as well. ( Now I should win on the lottery this week)

Another absolutely brilliant idea is to read the OP, the shrine was there before the road was.

[gdgbb]

People die after 'dissing' the shrine?

What a pile of crap.

Have the courage of your convictions... go up there and do some serious 'dissing'.

If you can document some rowdy behaviour at the shrine with photos or video, and at the same time telling the locals you think it's all crap, I will send you a bottle of Scotch whiskey.

I'm serious. Feel free to PM me for more details.

Ever yours in demolishing the primitive animist beliefs of the Thais and making them more like us.

DW

"...I will send you a bottle of Scotch whiskey."

Don't believe him, there's no such thing as Scotch whiskey. It's whisky.

"Ever yours in demolishing the primitive animist beliefs of the Thais and making them more like us."

Like Christians, Jews, and Muslims, to name a few, who would never have beliefs remarkably like that?

[geriatrickid]

If we had a shrine in the middle of the road here, i would not be in a wheelchair.

The crazy bugger would have slowed down.

Tommy Udo did not slow down.

[natway09]

I can feel a roundabout coming on

[DrTuner]

People die after 'dissing' the shrine?

What a pile of crap.

Have the courage of your convictions... go up there and do some serious 'dissing'.

If you can document some rowdy behaviour at the shrine with photos or video, and at the same time telling the locals you think it's all crap, I will send you a bottle of Scotch whiskey.

The local fundamentalists might very well beat him to death.

[jacko45k]

A few lights might be an idea.

[Bluespunk]

People die after 'dissing' the shrine?

What a pile of crap.

Have the courage of your convictions... go up there and do some serious 'dissing'.

If you can document some rowdy behaviour at the shrine with photos or video, and at the same time telling the locals you think it's all crap, I will send you a bottle of Scotch whiskey.

I'm serious. Feel free to PM me for more details.

Ever yours in demolishing the primitive animist beliefs of the Thais and making them more like us.

DW

Never said I would diss the shrine.

I said that claims that doing so would lead to death is a pile of crap.

Anyone saying this will happen is talking out of their arse.

[SABloke]

He "pointed with his feet"...sorry, I call BS local villagers. Not because it is "against Thai culture", but because it is quite difficult to do (unless the guy didn't have arms in which case the villagers are being dicks). Also, have only 2 people died in this village in known history (nothing suspicious of being run over in this country unless these were the only 2 deaths...then they might be onto something ?