Thailand, a predominantly Buddhist country with a population of approximately 66 million people, is modernising rapidly and yet at the same time manages to remain highly superstitious, with its Buddhist beliefs often coexisting side-by-side with animism, astrology and ‘black magic’ rituals. Its latest craze is an obsession for pampering on glamorous dolls known as ‘luuk thep’, or ‘child angels’.
The dolls, which are not too dissimilar to lifelike rubber children, are thought to invite benevolent spirits to possess them, with the hope that they will bring good luck, wealth and protection from harm. Although they seem harmless, police have since arrested three doll vendors on charges of tax avoidance, resulting in more than 100 dolls being seized.
The child angels can cost anywhere from 1,500 baht ($40, £28) and can fetch prices upward of 30,000 baht ($837, £587) and are said to bring good luck, wealth and protection from harm. They were first popularised by celebrities, who made the rather questionable judgement that by dressing the dolls up in elaborate clothing, feeding them and carrying them like real children, the dolls had brought them…
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