ASEAN Life Vol 3 Mei 2016 | Page 43

: ion t i t s per u S i a h T o the D Luk Thep Dolls Images from straitstimes.com ng Bri t a h t ll ck d Lu o o G s It seems creepy to see full grown adults treating dolls like their real children. Ever since Luk Thep became a huge trend in Thailand, it has received massive criticisms. Aside from the fact that it's weird seeing how these dolls are treated, owners also believe that they bring good luck. This is why the dolls are being fed, given language proficiency lessons, brought at concerts and even during airplane rides. It started as a crazy concept that everyone can easily laugh at, but it turned out to be a major craze all over the country. Why the sudden popularity Though it seems like a surprise that adults have suddenly caught this craze, experts believe that this is inevitable. For a country where majority of the people believe in good luck, this is just a different form of expressing such belief. It may also be brought about by the fast paced modern life. Those who experience insecurity and are in search of a security blanket turn to these dolls to provide what seems to be missing. Other experts trace the craze back to the idea of animism. This is an ancient belief where people worship objects associated with spirits. Back then, people worshipped trees, animals and even the sun. It might seem like an old belief, but it's still alive until now. The popularity of Luk Thep may be due to the perceived uncertain future. People want to hold on to something that could possibly give them luck. After all, they won't lose anything for holding such kind of belief. The belief does not have boundaries; the craze is true among the working class and those in the middle-upper class. It could be traced to their desire to acquire more wealth. Luk Thep Doll from straitstimes.com Some of these dolls are produced locally, but a lot of them have been imported from European manufacturers. On the surface, this can be easily attributed to international trade. Makers of these dolls have found a huge market and they simply capitalized on it. However, for believers, they think that the dolls have real spirits inside. There are still a lot of Thais who believe that spirits of gods can be found anywhere and some of them might have been locked up inside the dolls' bodies. Luk Thep Dolls from abc.net.au ASEAN Life • MAY 2016 | 43