Friday, October 15, 2010

Thirsty Ghost

If you see an open beverage in a Bangkok taxi with a straw in it, don't assume that it's for the driver. It could be an offering to the gods. In Thailand, votives commonly include drinks. I asked the cabbie why he chose this particular yogurt beverage and he told me that it's for Gu Man Tong, the Thai ghost child who enjoys this type of refreshment. I looked around the taxi for a statue of the ghost kid, but I only saw images of Thai monks. So I asked him where he keeps the phantom and he replied that he's never seen him, but he hopes Gu Man Tong will appear one day and take a sip. As I rode along in the cab, I prayed to myself that this isn't the day the ghost will haunt the taxi.