Thai Supernatural Club

I’m a bit of a wuss when it comes to horror-horror, but I go through periods of pushing that boundary more than is perhaps wise. Gore is often a hard no.

My loves are Thai comedy-horror and ghost stories which turn out to be not scary. I tend to like Thai ways with their stories, including the unrushed pacing of some of their movies. If others are complaining that it’s slow, I’m probably happy with it.

I’m also interested in things like the way a story is framed or told, and cultural differences in how countries tend to tell their stories. Which is why I set out to watch as many Mae Nak adaptations as I could find, and came to love that story so much.

I’m helping fill in gaps in the database for Thai movies and have learned the ropes for that. If you have suggestions to improve genres or tags, know of a film which is missing, or anything else, I’m happy to help you get it approved or submit the edits myself if you’d rather not bother.

My favourite movies below, several are supernatural. Most are kind and warm rather than scary. Will give two hours to nearly anything Thai with a ghost. Or mor lam.
https://kisskh.at/list/Ln8Mje94

Streamable Mae Nak adaptations, which I probably should remake since a voting list forced me to put information in the comments. https://kisskh.at/list/Ln8MkOj4

 Alex:

Hi, I would like to join. I haven't watched a ton of Thai supernatural/horror shows but a couple of my favorites is Peaceful Property and Reverse 4 You. 

Hello and welcome Alex. You're the first official member =D.

Have you seen the mini-challenge yet? You're welcome to participate in that too if you want, as many or few sections as suits you. https://kisskh.at/discussions/thai-dramas-lakorns-movies/147274-thai-supernatural-mini-challenge-2026

Re the mini-challenge - if you can give a good reason why a title should be allowed even though it's not [something something], I'll likely agree to it because out of the box thinking is good =D Especially when it draws on understanding the broader context.

As an example - I'm Tee Me Too doesn't actually have any supernatural elements but ghosts are mentioned a lot and it draws on themes common in Thai ghost stories in two of its storylines. IMO that combination strengthens the reason to include it in the mini-challenge even though it's tangential to the genre.

Make your case if there's something you'd like to use =D Hopefully it will lead to interesting conversations. Please be careful about spoilers though, and hide them as appropriate.

 MizMystixism:

I'm excited to be part of the club.

I'm glad you're here too. Your strongest interest is my weakest - between us we probably have the spectrum covered :)

 MizMystixism:

But Thai horror is always my top pick. The main reason? The culture similarity as I'm a Southeast Asian, and also because of how great Thailand does horror compared to other Asian countries.

Comparisons between countries is on-topic here. I'm interested in that but don't watch enough supernatural or horror from elsewhere. Some of that is not knowing where to find info or titles from other SE Asian countries, especially ghost stories.

The rest is the way many Thai directors tend to mitigate stress rather than pile it on like they do elsewhere. It works better for me and I'm generally able to cope with more difficult moments in Thai titles (though I'm still not sure how I managed Bang Rajan). So I tend to stick with my Thai movies and don't venture out that often. But then I want to understand more about how other countries do things.

Anyway, comparisons are on-topic, especially SEA and other Asian.

 Elisheva:

I'm interested in that but don't watch enough supernatural or horror from elsewhere. Some of that is not knowing where to find info or titles from other SE Asian countries, especially ghost stories.

Netflix has a variety of horror-thriller-supernatural films from across the globe. But of course the selection varies by region. And living in SEA, I have access to SEA/Asian horror, both on OTT and in cinema. And I also started exploring Turkish horror for the past 2 years and man… they're good!

 Elisheva:

Anyway, comparisons are on-topic, especially SEA and other Asian.

imo, horror-supernatural movies are often deeply culturally related because they reflect the society's taboos, moral panics and anxieties, and also the country's folklore, myths, and urban legends. Hence, some viewers often feel less scared watching horror movies from other countries due to a lack of cultural context and familiarity with the specific fears, folklore, and social anxieties the film is designed to tap into.  Like I rarely flinch when I watch Chinese, Korean and Japanese horror films. 😆

And I believe every country has their own myth and folklore that has always been used as a fear-inducing element in their horror films. Take krasue, for example. Not only in Thailand, it's also one of SEA's infamous supernatural creatures known by different names - Penanggal (Malaysia/Singapore/Brunei), Penanggalan (Indonesia), Manananggal (Philippines), Ma lai (Vietnam), Ahp (Cambodia), and Kasu (Laos). The creature and its history are already spooky, but it really comes down to how the film executed the idea and made it terrifying. That's how I generally compare SEA/Asian horror films.

 maryna:

Hello everyone! Nice to be here, I would like to join the club :)

Hello and welcome maryna. Good to see you here. I'm looking forward to getting some recs from your list and participation :)

I thought about making an official 'club' list, like the Thai Drama Club has. But I am already maintaining enough lists between the TDC's & my own and tastes in supernatural, horror and horror-ish are so personal it will probably work best if members keep their own. It will just make it easier to know what we're getting ourselves into and help us find others with similar tastes and tolerance levels.

 Elisheva:

I'm tempted to ask for recs, but from what I've seen of your MDL reviews I'm not sure I could cope =D

You're not the first to feel unsure about it. But don't worry, later I'll share some films/series I considered tame. 😁

 Elisheva:

Are they associated with fears around - not sure how to say this as it varies, but some aspect of women's sexuality?

The story of the krasue varies from country to country since it ties into the local religion and culture. But it's widely seen as a malevolent supernatural entity in the folklore of SEA. From my understanding based on some research and stories told over the generations, yes, krasue is linked to fears surrounding female sexuality. The myths reflect deep cultural anxieties about female bodies, purity, and societal boundaries, as the spirit embodies taboo aspects of female biological functions and power, especially during childbirth. And the existence of krasue is also linked to black magic and witchcraft.

And there's also krahang, a similar version of krasue in male form. It is described as a shirtless man, wearing a traditional loincloth, haunting the same way as a krasue. But it is particularly known in Thai and Lao folklore.