Thailand is a key global rice producer, and its people's lives have been intertwined with farming and rice cultivation for countless generations. Alongside this, many stories recount legends and beliefs about rice. Rice-related rituals are performed based on deep respect for Mae Posop, the rice goddess who provides us with rice and allows us to survive to this day. Elders in the past would often warn that wasting rice would upset Mae Posop, as part of passing on respect for this deity to Thai descendants.
The ritual of using rice to ward off misfortune is believed to have Mae Posop helping to dispel suffering and improve life. This is one of the longstanding rice-related ceremonies passed down through generations. Nowadays, it has become rare to find such elaborate rituals using rice to avert misfortune and enhance one’s fate. Follow the mission of “See True: Letting You See the Truth” as they investigate and join in the ritual at Wat Phuttharatanaram, Tapthai Subdistrict, Taphraya District, Sa Kaeo Province.
After a journey of over four hours from Bangkok to Wat Phuttharatanaram, we met Luang Pho Chaem Apilaso, who has practiced the rice ritual to ward off misfortune for more than 30 years. He learned it from the former abbot of this temple. Luang Pho Chaem believes that the rice we eat daily and our survival owe much to Mae Posop. He shared that people who first came for the ritual were often disabled or ill and had to be carried in, but now they can drive tractors and have survived serious conditions.
“I didn't understand much about this old practice myself. I asked my teachers, but it was at the very end of their knowledge. The teacher and abbot here used to study it somewhere—I don’t know where—and after writing it down, he passed it on to me. I memorized it and then allowed others to learn further if interested. In the past, this area used to do it this way, but nowadays people say it’s too difficult and don’t practice it anymore. They just cover a white cloth over the funerary offerings—it's a way of honoring the deceased, and that’s that.”According to Luang Pho Chaem’s explanation.
As the ritual time approached, Luang Pho Chaem said it takes about two hours. The ceremony begins by piling rice grains brought by participants and chanting incantations. The rice is then shaped into a human figure with a head, arms, and legs, inscribed with sacred characters along with the participant’s birthdate. The figure is carefully covered with a white cloth, and the participant sits on the rice figure symbolizing themselves. A sacred thread is measured to the participant’s height and wrapped around their head forming a long strand called the "age thread." During the ritual, the thread is burned and its ashes are thrown onto an offering tray, symbolizing the removal of suffering from the person.
The rice ritual to ward off misfortune lasts about two hours and is notably unique—something rarely seen before. The rice used in the ritual is later distributed to the community, acting as a form of charitable donation. One participant said they had experienced many such rituals elsewhere, but this one felt unusual and indescribable. Their younger brother had attended once and recommended it to them.
When the ceremony concludes, it is believed that the participant’s mind is healed from grief and suffering by Mae Posop’s blessing. While it is difficult to scientifically prove the effect, this ancient rice ritual arises from faith and embodies the lifestyle of villagers closely connected to rice cultivation. It is expected to be passed down through many generations to come. Follow #SpecialNews for the variety news program that investigates and reports every truth every Saturday at 6 p.m. on Thairath TV Channel 32.