Small Insight into the Superstitious Mind of the Thai

Been doing some work recently for a company in Bangkok - this rather amazing old tree is located on their ground, it was always the intention of the owners to keep it fully intact - Thai's treat old trees with extreme care, as it's believed spirits choose to live in them... Cut the wrong tree down, and it's bad luck for you and yours...

So as the project progressed, it became glaringly evident that said tree was going to be a bit of a pain, being that it is smack bang in the middle of a road.

The decision? Well, rather the management condemn themselves to an eternity of bad luck, they had the contractors concrete around the tree... thus effectively, strangling the life out of it over several weeks, killing it slowly and 'indirectly'! Apparently no-one was willing to take a firm decision to cut it down.

Amazing Thailand eh.

If I were a spirit hanging about in that old tree, I'd be well fecked off!

Comments

[Snap]

Quite a sneaky solution! It does make me wonder though, how was land ever cleared in the first place to make way for new buildings if there is so much concern for the spirits living in some of those trees?

[Ben Shingleton]

Indeed Snap, good question, and I have no idea. I guess amongst the Thai individuals that get the task, maybe there is alot of merit making etc.. followed by the chop (or they got a falang like me to do it :)

[Snap]

Ben, I must apologise, and just did, on my Cooee blog. You made a comment recently and I confused you with Dan Ploy...my bad!

There has been much lopping of large trees in my area recently...but happy to report, no deaths.

[Catherine]

So if concrete can kill a tree, why aren't the trees in Bangkok dead? They are growing right out of sidewalks and asphalt. Or have they dug into the roots and put concrete?

[Ben Shingleton]

They concreted right around the base, leaving no room for any drainage / oxygen etc.. Must confess I wasnt sure if it would die, but all the guys here said 'its a goner'