THE ORIGIN OF THE PALAD KHIK

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to inform about "Palad Khik" which is a kind of amulet existing in Thai society. This article primarily notify the history and classification of various types of amulets. Then, the information is collected from various sources and analyzed for the definition and provision of the meaning of "Palad Khik".  Background information of "Palad Khik" was analyzed from two main principles including: 1) Background in the context of the origination of the universal amulets and the influences of the Shaivism in Brahminism; and 2) Background in the context of the traditional belief in the spirits by a group of people named “the Tai” that were the traditional ancestors of the Southeast Asian people. Finally, the information gained from both sources were analyzed on the influence towards Thai Buddhist society by giving the reason why this kind of amulet is popular in Thai society that lead to the continuous reproduction up to the present.