Spirit Houses

Spirit houses were one of the first things to catch my eye here in Thailand.  Found outside of most houses and businesses, they look like dollhouses mounted on pillars - they often even have little people and animals standing on them!  After talking with some of our coworkers, we learned that these are called Spirit Houses, and are shrines to the protective spirits of a place.  The house provides shelter to these spirits, who can be dangerous if they are not appeased.

Below are some pictures of some of our the spirit houses we have seen around Chiang Saen:

This practice dates back to animist beliefs that are now intertwined with Buddhism in Thailand.  When traveling through South East Asia, particularly Thailand, keep an eye out for these Spirit Houses!

Spirit houses are usually all discarded in the same place.
A ceremony is performed to transfer the spirits from the old house to the new.