San Phra Phum

Spirit House, originally uploaded by Robbi Baba.

When a building goes up, the spirits of the land need a new place to live, so nearly every Thai store, office building or home has a spirit house. They are often stocked with many little figurines, which provide good company for the spirits. Also offerings are made quite often. Happy spirits don't cause trouble, and may bring good luck. It's not unusual to see a fanta bottle or even a plastic cup on the platform. At first we thought maybe this was litter!
I love seeing these houses, and even fairly bleak urban streets can be quite redeemed by the sight of elaborate or well cared for san phra phum.

For more about spirit houses