The creepy truth about Kuman Thong dolls

Types of superstition

Kuman Thong is a type of mystical guardian spirit according to Thai folk beliefs. In Thai, Kuman Thong means “golden boy” or “Demon Spirit Child”. Kuman Thong is created by removing the fetus from the mother’s body, then the shaman takes it to the cemetery to perform the Kuman Thong spirit calling ceremony. This is considered a humane act, expressing maternal love.

However, later, this meaning was distorted by many bad people, claiming that Kuman Thong can bring luck and fortune in order to deceive gullible people, with the purpose of making illegal money. When imported into Vietnam, these dolls were suddenly "scare" into a kind of amulet and became a money-making tool for many people.

Many types of Kuman Thong Dolls are sold on social networks.

Recently, the phenomenon of "Kuman Thong dolls" has appeared in some provinces and cities, causing confusion in public opinion, and has become increasingly complicated and negative, affecting people's lives, along with illegal exploitation. The worship of "Kuman Thong dolls" has appeared in some localities such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hoa Binh, Nghe An, and Ninh Thuan.

Currently, the province has not yet recorded specific statistics on people worshiping and trading these types of dolls because the worship takes place in families, the objects of worship are dolls, and violations related to this phenomenon have not taken place publicly.

According to the Provincial Religious Committee, the worship of Kuman Thong dolls is mainly practiced by a small number of businessmen and traders, and there have even been thieves and scammers...

Many people consider Kuman Thong dolls as their children, so they often carry them with them and pamper them very much.

Buying and selling “Kuman Thong Dolls” is not difficult when dozens of closed groups have been established on social networks specializing in exchanging, buying, selling and taking care of “Kuman Thong Dolls” such as “group for raising and taking care of linh nhi - business amulets”; “Kuman Thong raising group”, “amulet buying and selling group”, “group for raising and taking care of Kuman Thong properly”…

Because the profits from trading “Kuman Thong Dolls” are not small, while the quality cannot be verified, bad people have intentionally exaggerated the truth about “Kuman Thong Dolls”, traded fake “Kuman Thong Dolls”, and deceived gullible people for profit.

Rumors about supernatural powers make “Kuman Thong Dolls” an expensive illegal item, ranging from several million to several hundred million VND depending on the material and “capacity” of each type. People worship “Kuman Thong Dolls” for many purposes such as increasing benefits (attracting wealth, attracting customers, making business profitable); respect (creating affection); and warding off evil (protecting the owner in case of danger, warning about dangerous things…)...

Consequences of Kuman Thong

Recently, at the Gold View apartment building, Ben Van Don street, district 4, Ho Chi Minh city, a 24-year-old girl was found falling from the 17th floor to the ground and died. What is special is that the unusual death of this girl is believed to be related to the fact that the victim kept a Kuman Thong doll in her house and loved it like her own child.

Specifically, in a message sent to her friend, this young girl proudly boasted: "My child is very obedient and affectionate. I am very lucky that my child chose me to raise." But in a series of other messages sent to her friend, this young girl expressed despair about this world. She even felt like she was possessed by some kind of devil or spell.

Many fanpages have been created to share how to properly "raise" Kuman Thong.

"The phenomenon of "Kuman Thong Dolls" damages the economy and creates a mentality of panic, dependence, and reliance on luck and magic among believers."

Mr. Luu Cong Vinh - Head of the Provincial Religious Committee

According to the Provincial Religious Committee, if the production, sale and use of this phenomenon is not prevented in time, it will become widespread and negatively affect people's beliefs, cultural and spiritual life and lead to bad risks for society such as increasing the buying and selling of fetal bodies, fraudulent forms for illegal profiteering, affecting security, order and social safety.

Faced with the dangerous effects of Kuman Thong dolls, Vinh City People's Committee has sent a dispatch to wards and communes to warn about this superstitious activity.

According to the Vinh City People's Committee, the activities of the Kuman Thong doll phenomenon have violated the law and there are regulations for handling such as: Article 11, Law on Donation, Taking, Transplanting Human Tissues and Organs and Donating Bodies 2016; Law on Handling Administrative Violations 2012 and Decree 158/2013/ND-CP regulating administrative sanctions in the fields of culture, sports, tourism and advertising. The 2014 Investment Law regulates industries and professions prohibited from investment and business; Article 5, Law on Beliefs and Religions...

“Unifying awareness based on identification and clearly defining this as a type of superstition, inconsistent with Vietnam's cultural traditions and laws”

Official dispatch of Vinh City People's Committee

Vinh City requires wards and communes to strengthen their work of grasping the situation, promptly detecting, preventing and strictly handling acts of propaganda, enticing, buying, selling, using... related to "Kuman Thong Dolls" in the area.

At the same time, it will promote propaganda and mobilize the masses about the wrong nature, extreme manifestations, violations and consequences of "Kuman Thong Dolls", to avoid subjects taking advantage of them for illegal profiteering.

Raising and caring for Kuman Thong dolls is very expensive and leaves many unpredictable consequences. In the photo, many Kuman Thong dolls sit around a dinner table like humans.

There is no scientific basis to prove that worshiping corpses in the house brings luck to the living. Moreover, from a cultural perspective, the process of making Kuman Thong dolls is an inhumane process. In Buddhism, there is no such thing as casting spells. And the traditional way of making Kuman Thong has been banned in Thailand.

Every individual has the right to freedom of belief, but also needs to be alert to understand that if something is considered sacred, it cannot be sold in large quantities. Do not spend a large amount of money to buy things that are not sure to benefit you. Doing so is no different than turning yourself into a fat prey for others to take advantage of and do illegal business.