A Brief Look at the Spiritual Atmosphere in Thailand

Though I could never fully unearth or explain the complexities of any spiritual environment, much less one I’ve been in for only a month, I wanted to share a bit about my experience here so far. I think especially in this place, this is a critical part of reality to consider.

Don’t get me wrong – Thailand has a lot going for it. It’s one of the most lush places I’ve been, even inside the city; people are kind and quick to smile or display generosity here; the food is wonderful… there are many beautiful aspects to the culture. However, as I’ve mentioned in a previous post, the spiritual atmosphere in Thailand is – to put it simply – heavy. 

Temples – called a “wat” in Thai – are everywhere here. You can walk down pretty much any street and find a temple. Most are Buddhist and full of Buddha statues, but there is the chance you’d find a Hindu temple or a temple with Hindu idols. You’re likely to see Buddhist monks in and around the temple complexes, as well as just around the city. As different as all this has been to experience, there’s one specific aspect of Thai religion and culture that fascinates me even more.

Spirit houses are very common here, found near homes, businesses, and other public areas (such as parks). They’re like miniature houses on stands, often very detailed and full of figurines, idols, and other imagery. They’re intended to serve, as you might have guessed, as homes for spirits, in an effort to have one’s property and goods be protected by “good spirits”. People put offerings on and inside spirit houses to keep (what they perceive to be) the good spirits happy and willing to protect the area under jurisdiction of that spirit house.

The most interesting thing to me about spirit houses is one of the most popular offerings. People leave all sorts of offerings at spirit houses, such as flower chains, candles, incense, fruit, even water and other drinks. Before coming to Asia I read about how spirit houses are popular in this region, and ended up learning that in the past people would often present offerings of slain animals – as around the world there’s an understanding that shed blood is the only way to atone for sin (hmm, this sounds familiar…). Now however, most stay away from actual animals and blood because of modern sensibilities. In its place, people often offer strawberry Fanta since it’s red like blood. And since being here, I have seen many bottles, cans, and cups of red soda on spirit house altars. Though I understand the context now, it’s still a crazy sight to me!

So basically: wherever you turn here, you’re likely to encounter the trappings of what is, ultimately, a very different attempt at salvation than the Gospel of Christ offers.

Our whole team has discussed the spiritual struggles we’ve been facing here, from mental battles to emotional blocks to apathy and complacency. It’s clear that there is very heavy spiritual warfare here, and has been for a long time – after all, there have been Christian missionaries in Thailand for well over 200 years, and currently less than 1% of the population claims Jesus as their Savior. In trying to understand that reality, I had a realization the other day as we walked down the street: no wonder it’s so heavy! There are altars to idols literally lining the streets here, with people actively giving offerings to them day after day – and the Bible says that offerings made to idols are actually being given to demons (1 Corinthians 10:19-20). If demonic spirits are being so boldly and blatantly welcomed in this place – whether with the understanding of the offerer or not – then of course the spiritual atmosphere is going to be heavy, and heavily skewed away from the Truth!

Yet I will say, in the midst of all this heaviness and spiritual confusion we’ve been feeling, the Lord is doing things – things only He can do. I got a glimpse the other night when our team had a worship night together, and the presence of God was evident within minutes in a way I haven’t felt since coming to Thailand. As we testified and prayed and sang about how our God is the God of divine exchanges, the Giver of beauty for ashes, joy for mourning, and praise for heaviness, I felt a shift. There was a new joy, a new hope, a new excitement – a fresh revelation of our good God. In the spiritual difficulty of Thailand, the Lord has been consistently encouraging me to press in to Him, so that’s what I’ve been trying to do as much as I can. And that day I feel like I finally started to see some breakthrough. I’m continuing to press in and trust Him for more, in and around our team!

The cloud is heavy here. It’s dark. It’s subtle, and you won’t even notice it as anything more than cultural difference or even culture shock unless and until you’re aware of the spiritual off-ness. But God’s light is still shining through, poking holes into that darkness, revealing Truth and Life. Please pray with us that His light continues to shine into the darkness here and that the Thai people encounter the one true living God!