The Phi Ta Khon Festival, more commonly known as the Ghost Festival of Thailand, is a colorful part in Thailand’s rich tradition of ghost and spirit folklore and bears a passing resemblance to Mexico’s Día de los Muertos or “Day of the Dead.”
Like many festivals and traditions in Thailand, Phi Ta Khon is a colorful expression of the people’s Buddhist faith. It is believed that when the Lord Buddha’s penultimate incarnation, Prince Vessandara, returned to his city, the joyous occasion caused village spirits to come forth and join the welcoming parade.
Ghost masks are made of dried sticky rice husk and painted in bright red, green, or other colors and the prominent feature is the long pointed nose. The masks consist of a large head piece made from woven cones used to steam sticky rice. The face is carved out of wood or banana trunks. The costumes were traditionally sewn from old cloth, but locals now wear jumpsuits patched from colorful fabrics.