Laos - Angry spirit causes accident
Where the river Mekong flows from Laos into Cambodia, the mighty river widens and thousands of islands appear. Some are so small that only a single small bush grows on it, others are much larger and populated. On one of these island villages we met a man in his early thirties who runs a guesthouse with his family. One morning at breakfast, his aunt approaches us with a picture of a rather large Thai monk who has many necklaces hanging down his chest. She had just returned from an all-night prayer at the local temple where she received some pieces of strings to protect from ghosts and evil spirits. These strings are tied around the wrist for protection. Sometimes certain colors refer to specific organs or body parts that needs extra protection. 
Spirits live in trees and when you cut down a tree the spirits get angry at you and will cause you to have an accident. We've seen many offerings of incense, food and flowers to big Banyan trees all over SE Asia.
I wonder about conversations at the ER when the admission doctor takes down the Health and Physical and is told about the involvement of spirits. Or, are spirits not talked about at the hospital and only 'dealt' with at the temple?
The guesthouse owner doesn't want to talk further about his aunt but explains to us that ghosts are everywhere and come out especially at night. He asks us whether we believe in ghosts, and it gets a little awkward as we try to say what we really think without stepping on his toes. His answer is: “50% - you never know so better play safe.”
More on the Laotian Baci Ceremony here.
