PRET "ผีเปรต"

A strange incident happened during my childhood when I was around 5 years old. In Thailand, there is a belief in "Pret," a type of ghost or spirit, and it is often associated with recounting stories of various sins committed by the deceased. These stories depict the spirits taking on different forms based on the karma they accumulated when they were still human. To redeem themselves, these spirits must seek merit from those who possess it, hoping for a chance to be reborn.

The peculiar incident from my childhood occurred when I was traveling from a district in the Sisaket province to a distant small district called Uthumphon Phisai. I was heading to my grandmother's house. My grandmother was a devout person who loved to accumulate merit, as her house was adjacent to a temple, fostering a deep-rooted tradition of merit-making since her childhood.

In the past, electricity was not prevalent, and even though we lived close to the temple , our fears were fueled by beliefs and superstitions. The atmosphere inside my grandmother's house was that of an old traditional Thai-style wooden house, with an open ground floor and a bedroom on the second floor. The dusty smell permeating the bedroom forced my mother and me to sleep outside, as it was too overwhelming to clean the room due to the excessive dust. My grandmother never went up to clean the bedroom as she was elderly and couldn't navigate the stairs, spending most of her time alone on the ground floor.

The sounds of birds and small animals in the rice fields come from behind my grandmother's house. The backyard is filled with large trees, and one of them is a tall and majestic coconut tree. It is quiet and peaceful, with a sense of tranquility. Although there are neighbors who are also relatives, it can still be lonely as they are all elderly.

The resonant sound of the temple bells in the evening, the chanting of monks, and the sounds that echoed in the ears during childhood when we couldn't understand the Pali language. It all seemed very frightening back then. From the beliefs of the Brahmanic scriptures, the recitations conveyed a sense of fear, even though they were Buddhist chants.

My grandmother's house is adjacent to the temple, right at the entrance gate. Directly in line with the gate is the "Phra Suchada," the place where Buddhist funeral rites are performed. According to Thai beliefs, it is the gateway for the deceased to enter the realm of spirits, ghosts, and demons. This intensified my fear, especially when sleeping at night, during the cold December nights of 2003, with chilly winds and an unfamiliar place.

My older brother would enjoy teasing and scaring each other, saying, "Tonight, you'll have an encounter," even though we were afraid. It was fun to play pranks on each other, but we never discussed the consequences before going to sleep.

The elders who came to visit my grandmother would often say, "These kids are lazy. With their long hair, beware, or they might become "Pret" (hungry ghosts)." They would paint a picture of a difficult life for us, with small mouths unable to eat properly, enduring hardships for hundreds of years before being reborn. They would come to ask for alms, hoping to escape the cycle of suffering.

Be cautious, they would warn, committing sins against parents may turn one into a Preta.

In reality, they were teaching us to do good and help our parents, but it was a way of instilling fear in the minds of 5-year-olds, a fear of darkness, the darkness that came with the cold wind. However, with various beliefs, they had to teach us to fear ghosts. This is the Thai belief in Buddhism, which is diverse and intermingled.

The sound of the temple bell resonates, signaling the completion of the evening prayers. The chilly air wraps around the heart. Coming from our home to this distant place, those beliefs covered the mind of this little child. The beliefs from the Brahmanic scriptures, present in my mother's bloodline, as she is from Uthumphon Phisai, where they speak the Lao language. At my father's house, they speak Khmer. Both sets of beliefs instilled fear due to their diversity. The Khmer belief suggests that putting things on others can turn them into Pret. There are similar beliefs, but in Khmer culture, there is a stronger emphasis on the power of putting things on others, leading to the fear that it might turn someone into a Pret.

That night, I felt I would encounter something good. The night was long, and I felt it would be eventful.

"Bum is taking a shower. It's not cold. The bathroom is dark, no lights. Who would shower in this darkness?" This made me decide not to take a shower tonight, and I would do it tomorrow instead.

After having water to drink, I burped loudly. Little did I know that I would suffer from indigestion in the middle of the night. The bathroom was located at the far end, after passing through the dark woods and the dark rice fields. I had to rely on the dim light and the flashlight.

After finishing dinner, everyone was ready to sleep. My older brother, my mother, and I slept together in an old mosquito net with holes from its age.

The cold did not only seep through the blankets; mosquitoes, ants, and dust invaded, disrupting the relaxation, making it difficult for me to sleep.

As time passed, half-asleep and half-awake, the wind blew stronger around 3 a.m. The loud cracking sound of falling coconuts echoed.

Bang! Bang, bang!

Coconut shells fell.

"Mom!"

"What's that loud noise?"

"Hmm..."

"Coconuts!"

"Yes, Mom."

"Pum, don't brag. It's late; you can sleep now."

"Talan, did you hear? Well, if you're lucky, the ghost tiger might come for you."

"My older brother didn't offer me any encouragement; instead, the more scared I was, the more he enjoyed it. The cold wind storm finally subsided, and the moonlight shone beautifully.

The storm ended, and I could finally sleep. I dozed off for a while....

I believe that everyone has nightmares, and each person's nightmares are different. I'll talk about the scariest thing my mind can create.

Unexpected things can happen. A 5-year-old boy in pain.

"Die now, at this moment."

"Tam-tam."

"Let's go for a walk."

"I don't want to. It's late."

"Mom, Mom!"

No response.

I endured the pain for a while and didn't dare to go out because it was too frightening. I knew I had to face something scary tonight in the dark and unfamiliar place.

"Boo!"

The sound of a barking dog was heavy.

Increasing the fear of this child.

"Oh no!"

"What are you afraid of?"

"Chase away the mosquitoes!"

"Can't bear it."

Just as I closed my eyes, the atmosphere turned tense.

"Did you hear that?"

"Yes, Mom."

The sound of a coconut falling.

"Mooom!"

"What's that loud noise?"

"Hmm..."

"Coconuts!"

"Yes, Mom."

"Pum, don't brag. It's late; you can sleep now."

"Talan, did you hear? Well, if you're lucky, the ghost tiger might come for you."

After the windstorm, the atmosphere became even colder. The dog started barking. I tossed and turned in my sleep. Mosquitoes bit me.

"I can't stand it anymore."

Immediately after closing my eyes, "Lord!" It was the shadow of someone walking around the neighborhood. It was terrifying.

"Damn!"

"Mom!"

No one responded.

I endured the pain for a while and didn't dare to go out because it was too frightening.

"Brrrrr!"

A heavy barking sound.

Intensifying the fear of this child.

"Oh no!"

"A spirit! A spirit!"

Everyone, did you hear anything from me? I paid respects to the deity, chanted, and prayed for blessings.

"Bakkhala."

From the whispering mouth, the spell came.

"From the Isan region!"

"Before his voice diminishes and turns into the sound of the wind, like a bird, and disappears from my head entirely."

What was more frightening than that was that my mind couldn't forget what he said and the movements he made.

Urinating was painful.

What I did was urinate from the balcony and close my eyes. The wind's sound against the galvanized iron roof lasted how long? Until I couldn't take it anymore. Then, I let go.

"Peeeed!"

Relieved and uncomfortable.

I didn't care anymore and quickly got up in a state where urine had flowed all over the place.

That night, I didn't sleep and waited for the sky to brighten. What was even more heartbreaking was that there were no traces of urine on me. My grandmother still hadn't woken up, and no one had awakened....

The barking sound, thud, thud, echoed in my ears, and the tall leg owner's eyes looked down at me to ask for a share of merit. It remained in my head since childhood, and I didn't dare to go down again. The bed-wetting persisted until I was 15 years old. Due to this incident, his voice haunted me every time I had a urinary urgency."