5 Personal Horror Stories from Thailand
1. Chai, 30, Chiang Mai – The Ghost of the Old Temple
Profile: Chai is a university lecturer from Chiang Mai, known for his calm demeanor and love for history. His life was turned upside down by an unsettling encounter with a ghost while visiting an ancient temple.
Story:
As a history enthusiast, I have always been fascinated by Chiang Mai’s ancient temples. One afternoon, I decided to visit a lesser-known temple located on the outskirts of the city. The temple was known for its age and historical significance but was largely abandoned, with only a few locals tending to its grounds.
I arrived in the late afternoon, and the temple seemed deserted. Its weathered stone walls and crumbling statues gave the place an eerie aura, but I was determined to explore. As I entered the main hall, I felt a strange presence, as though I was being watched. The air felt thick, and a cold breeze swept through the open doors.
I tried to shake off the feeling, telling myself that it was just my imagination. However, as I wandered deeper into the temple, I saw something that made my heart stop—a woman standing by the altar. She was wearing an old-fashioned white dress, her hair disheveled and covering her face. I called out to her, thinking she might be a local caretaker, but she didn’t respond.
I approached her slowly, but as I got closer, she turned toward me. Her face was pale, her eyes sunken, and her expression twisted into an unsettling grin. The air around her grew colder, and I felt an overwhelming sense of dread. I froze, unable to move as she began whispering in a language I didn’t understand.
Before I could react, the woman vanished into thin air, leaving only the sound of a distant bell ringing. I quickly ran out of the temple, my heart racing. When I asked the locals about the woman, they told me the temple was once the site of a tragic death. A woman had died there under mysterious circumstances many years ago, and it was said that her spirit still lingered.
2. Pailin, 42, Bangkok – The Mysterious Caller
Profile: Pailin is a successful businesswoman living in the heart of Bangkok. Despite her rational outlook on life, she encountered a chilling supernatural event that made her question everything.
Story:
I’ve always been a skeptic. As a businesswoman, I rely on logic and reason, dismissing anything that couldn’t be explained by science. That changed one evening when I received an unexpected phone call.
It was around 2 a.m. when my phone rang. I glanced at the caller ID, and it was from a number I didn’t recognize. I was half asleep, but something compelled me to answer. The voice on the other end was soft and familiar, but I couldn’t quite place it.
“Pailin,” the voice whispered. “I’m still waiting for you.”
I immediately felt a chill run down my spine. I had no idea who was calling, but the voice sounded like someone I knew. I asked, “Who is this?” but the voice only repeated, “I’m waiting for you.”
I hung up, thinking it was a prank, but the next day, I received another call. This time, the voice was clearer, almost like it was inside the room with me. “You forgot me,” it said. “Come back.”
I was terrified. I couldn’t explain how the voice knew my name, and it felt as though it was calling from somewhere far away, yet so close. Over the next few days, I started receiving calls every night at the same time, each one more urgent than the last. The voice began to describe places I had been, people I knew, and even events from my past.
Finally, I sought help from a Buddhist monk. After explaining my situation, he told me that the calls were from a spirit—one of my ancestors who had died many years ago but was now trying to reach out. According to the monk, the spirit was angry because I had neglected my family’s rituals, and it was now seeking closure.
After performing the necessary rites and offering prayers, the calls stopped. I’ve never experienced anything like that again, but I’ll never forget the feeling of being haunted by a voice from the past.
3. Somchai, 56, Isaan – The Woman in the Fields
Profile: Somchai is a farmer in the Isaan region of Thailand, where he has lived and worked all his life. He grew up hearing stories of ghosts, but he never truly believed in them—until one strange encounter in his rice fields.
Story:
I’ve been working the rice fields in Isaan for most of my life. In our village, stories of ghosts and spirits are common, but I never paid them much attention. However, everything changed one evening when I was working late in the fields.
It was near harvest time, and I was trying to finish up before dark. The sun was setting, casting a golden glow across the fields. As I bent over to gather the last of the rice, I heard a soft, almost melodic voice calling my name. “Somchai…”
I looked around but saw no one. I thought it was just the wind playing tricks on me, so I continued my work. But the voice called again, closer this time. “Somchai…”
I stood up and scanned the field, but there was no one in sight. The only movement was the sway of the tall rice plants in the wind. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a figure moving toward me. It was a woman, dressed in a long white gown, her hair flowing behind her. She was walking through the field as if the water didn’t touch her feet.
I called out to her, but she didn’t respond. Instead, she kept walking toward me, her face pale and expressionless. I tried to move, but my legs felt like they were made of stone. When she reached me, she stopped and stared at me, her eyes dark and empty.
Suddenly, I heard a loud scream, like a cry of pain, and the woman vanished into the air. I was left standing there, trembling, unsure of what had just happened. The next day, I spoke to an elder in the village, who told me that the woman I had seen was a ghost. She had died in the fields many years ago and was said to wander, searching for her lost child.
I’ve never gone back to those fields after dark.
4. Narin, 27, Phuket – The Possession at the Hotel
Profile: Narin is a young hotel manager in Phuket. After years of working in the hospitality industry, he had grown used to strange requests from guests, but nothing could prepare him for the terrifying possession that occurred in his hotel.
Story:
It was late one night when I received an emergency call from one of the guests at our hotel. They sounded distressed, so I rushed to their room. When I arrived, the door was slightly ajar, and I could hear a faint chanting coming from inside.
I pushed the door open and found a woman in her mid-thirties sitting on the floor, her eyes rolled back in her head. She was chanting in a language I didn’t recognize, and her voice was deep and guttural, completely unlike her normal tone.
The room was cold, and the air felt heavy. The woman’s husband was standing in the corner, his face pale with fear. He told me that they had been staying at the hotel for a few days, and everything had been fine until that evening.
As I tried to approach her, the woman suddenly stopped chanting and looked directly at me. Her eyes locked onto mine, and for a moment, I felt as though I was being pulled into them. It was as if she wasn’t seeing me, but something—or someone—else.
Suddenly, she screamed and lunged at me, knocking me back. I scrambled to my feet and called for help. The staff managed to restrain her, and we quickly called a local monk. After the monk arrived, he performed a ritual to rid her of the spirit that had taken over her body. He explained that the hotel had been built on land once used for dark practices, and the spirit of an ancient evil had been awakened.
After the ritual, the woman regained consciousness, and the strange behavior stopped. She didn’t remember anything that had happened. We later learned that similar incidents had occurred in the hotel’s past, and the land was said to be cursed.
5. Anong, 60, Surat Thani – The Legend of the Crying Child
Profile: Anong is a retired teacher who lives in Surat Thani. Growing up in the countryside, she had heard many stories about the supernatural, but she never believed them—until one rainy night when she encountered the spirit of a crying child.
Story:
I was living in a small house on the edge of Surat Thani, surrounded by jungle and farmland. One evening, as I was preparing for bed, I heard the sound of a child crying outside. At first, I thought it was a neighbor’s child, but the crying seemed to be coming from the direction of the jungle.
I ignored it, thinking it was just the wind or my imagination. But the crying continued, growing louder and more desperate. It wasn’t a normal cry—it was full of pain and sorrow, almost as if the child was in great distress.
Curious and concerned, I grabbed a flashlight and went outside. The night was dark, and the jungle was silent except for the crying. I followed the sound deeper into the trees, but as I ventured further, the crying suddenly stopped.
I stood still, listening, but there was no sound. Then, from behind me, I heard a small voice whisper, “Help me…”
I turned around, but there was no one there. The flashlight flickered, and I felt an icy chill run down my spine. I quickly ran back to the house, slamming the door shut behind me.
The next morning, I spoke to my neighbors about the incident. They told me that the jungle near my house was haunted by the spirit of a child who had died there many years ago. It was said that her cries could be heard at night, as she searched for her lost mother.
I’ve never ventured into that part of the jungle again.
