In Uttaradit, villagers prepared both savory and sweet offerings and joined in the water pouring ceremony for "Father Pu Phaya Kaeo," a ritual over 100 years old, receiving lucky numbers for the lottery draw on 16/5/26, including both two-digit and three-digit numbers.
On 10 May 2026 at the Father Pu Phaya Kaeo shrine in Village 5, Chai Chumphon Subdistrict, Lap Lae District, Uttaradit Province, local villagers brought offerings such as traditional ceremonial trays, pig heads, boiled chicken, liquor, cigarettes, shredded tobacco, various fruits, local clothing like pha khao ma and thin white cloth, and savory and sweet foods. These were presented as offerings to the guardian deities, territorial spirits, and forest and mountain spirits, who were invited to join the water pouring ritual honoring Father Pu Phaya Kaeo, a sacred figure revered by the community and a spiritual center for the villagers. This water pouring ritual has been passed down for more than 100 years.
Villagers believe that Father Pu Phaya Kaeo is a sacred spirit who has been with them for generations since their great-grandparents, protecting and blessing them to live peacefully and happily. This protection is believed to ensure abundant crops and that rains come according to the seasons. Many villages have built shrines dedicated to Father Pu Phaya Kaeo, treating him as the village guardian deity.
During the ceremony to invite the spirit of Father Pu Phaya Kaeo to preside, strong winds suddenly blew. At the same time, inside the shrine, a 70-year-old woman reciting the spirit invocation appeared to be possessed by the spirit of Father Pu Phaya Kaeo. Shortly after, the strong winds calmed down.
The villagers then presented various offerings to the possessed body of Father Pu Phaya Kaeo, who accepted them, inhaled deeply, and chose a favored cloth to wear. This was followed by traditional dance performances passed down through generations.
Another highlight eagerly awaited by villagers and lottery players was the chance to receive lucky numbers from Father Pu Phaya Kaeo. In the past, he often provided 'lucky numbers' that brought good fortune to villagers. This time, the spirit medium wrote the number 18 on paper and gave it to the villagers, who received it with reverence, saying they planned to use it for the lottery draw on 16/5/26. Additionally, the auspicious incense stick number 663 appeared during the ritual, which villagers also planned to use for lottery betting.
After the water pouring ceremony for Father Pu Phaya Kaeo concluded, villagers counted all the boiled eggs brought for the ritual and found a total of 232 eggs.
