A Thai airline will now allow passengers to purchase child tickets for their life-like dolls. These ‘spirit’ dolls are treated as real children by their owners due to the belief that they possess supernatural powers.
Thai Smile Airways, (a part of national carrier Thai Airways International), stated in an internal memo that dolls holding onto tickets will be served food and drinks, but will be barred from sitting at the exit rows.
Passengers who take their dolls on the plane without child tickets will have them treated as carry-on luggage!
These dolls are known as ‘luk thep’, or child angels, and have become increasingly popular in Thailand after several celebrities praised their benefits. They are though to possess the spirits of child angels, and can sell for hundreds of dollars.
Owners pamper them with branded clothes and accessories because they believe that a doll that is being well taken care of will bless them with good fortune. The memo from Thai Smile further explains to their staff that the dolls can be treated like normal children because they had undergone a ‘spiritualisation’ process that brings them to life.
The dolls would have to fasten their seat belts during take off and landing.
Neta Grill, a Bangkok buffet restaurant, is also running a special for the dolls. They announced on their Facebook page on Sunday that “more than 30 customers have brought their luk thep to eat”.
“Neta Grill is open to all worshippers and we’re glad to serve luk thep at children’s prices on the condition that all of the food ordered is consumed”.
News Source: The Straits Times