Pushed by the perceived conservatism of Buddhism and pulled by fun and fashion, many younger Thais are turning to new pop rituals to express their personal beliefs, including finding an unlikely “sacred” emblem in the monstrous form of the Labubu doll created by Chinese toy company Pop Mart.
Am Sriphromyan, a well-known master of Thailand’s Sak Yant, or protective tattoos, has seen a surge in inquiries for her Labubu tattoos from around the world after a TikTok video featuring her pop design in the sacred style common among devout Thai Buddhists went viral.
The fuzzy, pointy-eared monster may be a radical departure from the animal spirits and Sanskrit symbols of traditional Sak Yant, but Master Am says it carries great meaning to those who desire it.
“Bringing modern pop icons like Labubu has helped strengthen Buddhist faith and beliefs,” she told This Week in Asia.
“Those that get tattoos done by me have vowed to live by Buddhist principles as well as think well, speak well and do well, the core beliefs of any religion in the world.”
She says publicity surrounding her tattoos has attracted dozens of people to her suburban Bangkok home, which doubles as a shrine to a constellation of deities, spirits, icons and ethereal figurines with supposedly magical properties.
“They’ve come from all over Thailand and across the world … Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, California and France.”
Additionally, there is now a growing demand for another popular figure from Pop Mart’s blind box gifts, called “Molly,” designed by Hong Kong artist Kenny Wong.
But rather than trivialising faith and belief, Am believes that the use of new symbols can help young people reinterpret faith in a modern context and provide support during challenging times.
“I see it as a clever route for young people or people who have lost faith in Buddhism or religion to make Buddhism appealing again.”
Thailand is an overwhelmingly Buddhist kingdom of the Theravada school. Faith is deeply ingrained in community life, with temples in every village and daily merit-making rituals. The country’s wider power structures are endorsed and underpinned by senior monks, and respect for the clergy is a given.
However, the country also embraces various parallel belief systems, suffused with animist practices, attaching luck, fortune and protection to an array of spirits, symbols and sacred items – as well as individuals claiming magical or spiritual powers.
While some critics argue that the essence of religion has been diluted by the commercialisation of “magical” amulets and blessings to everyone from senior military men to businesspeople, others see the flexibility of faith as a strength.
“Our religious teaching makes sense because it comprises other beliefs including animism, theism, superstition and astrology, which is very different from the Christian belief where anything other than what’s taught in the bible is wrong,” said Surapot Taweesak, a prominent religious studies scholar and columnist.
“What’s good about the Thai multi-faith engagement is that it helps us respect each other’s beliefs.
However, he acknowledges that this openness may empower leaders of cults or faiths to exploit their followers.
The rise of “pop” practices, from Labubu tattoos to Leila amulets – an affordable designer brand updating the revered amulets of the past and now worn by celebrities including Lisa of Blackpink – reflects a declining interest in mainstream faith among the younger generation, Suraport added.
“The new gen, especially those that are studying in college, have turned their backs to official religion controlled by the state,” he says. “They’re more into philosophy,” he added, than organised religion.
For Phathzichar Wimontsrinarrachai, 39, a childhood of merit-making at Buddhist temples and wearing protective traditional amulets has segued into collecting Leila amulets in her adult years, winning the blessing of famous monks.
“I had one, now my wrist is full of them,” she said.
“To me, these amulets are like the anchor of my heart. When I wear them, I feel like I have something to guide me on the way.”
