The sweets left for hungry ghosts end up grabbed by the living
Related guide: Sat Thai 2027
At dawn on the 15th day of the waning moon in the tenth lunar month, people bring krayasart and other food to temples for the monks. After the chanting, families dedicate the merit to relatives who have died. There is no parade or show, and taking part simply means giving alms at a temple.
Krayasart is made from popped rice, nuts, sesame and sugar, pressed into bars or slabs. It is eaten in every region of Thailand and turns up at markets and around temples in the days before the festival.
In the south the period is called Sat Duean Sip, the Tenth Month Festival. People believe hungry ghosts, pret, are let out into the human world during the tenth month, so families carry offerings to the temple on trays called hmrub. Each sweet on the tray has a meaning: khanom la is clothing, khanom phong a raft for crossing the river of the dead, khanom deesum money and khanom kong jewellery.
Afterwards, the leftover sweets are set out around the temple grounds, at the foot of trees or in a pavilion for spirits with no family, and people rush in to grab them. The custom is called ching pret, and grabbing a share is believed to bring merit and good luck. Some temples place the offerings on a greased pole.
The full guide to this festival
Sat Thai 2027: expected 30 September, dawn offerings at temples across Thailand
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