Sriwittayapaknam School > English Homepage > Thai Culture at School > Spirit House


Spirit Houses can be found in nearly every home, school and business premises in Thailand. They look like minature tempes or elegant birdhouses as some people have described them. They come in different shapes and sizes though all of them are on a raised platform. The spirit house is for the chao tee or guardian spirit of the land. Thai people believe that by keeping the chao tee happy with a comfortable home and daily offerings of food and drink that their lives will be more safe and successful. As the teachers and students arrive early in the morning, you will see many of them raising their hands in a wai as a form of respect to the chao tee. Some of them might offer food or a flower garland if they are looking for luck to pass an exam or win an important football match. They usually promise a special gift if their wish is granted.

You can ask us questions about life in a Thai school in our School Forum

You can visit the Brahmin Shrine and Spirit House as one of the stops on our Virtual Tour of a Thai School. You might also be interested to see what happened when we invited a Brahman priest to the school to bless our new Spirit House and also to Bless a new Car! These links will open in a new window.