Villagers in Huai Mek District, Kalasin Province, have unitedly brought "red garments" to hang outside their houses to protect against the "widow ghost" according to beliefs passed down since their grandparents' generation.
On 4 August 2026, reporters received reports of unusual activity in Hua Hin and Bueng Na Riang subdistricts, Huai Mek District, Kalasin. Upon investigation, nearly every house had red shirts, pants, cloths, and umbrellas tied and hung at doorways, house pillars, stair railings, and trees in front of homes. Some cloths had faded to pink from long exposure to sun and rain, while others remained bright red as if newly placed, amid an unusually quiet village atmosphere with only small groups of villagers chatting occasionally.
In the Nong No village area, Moo 3 and Moo 7, Hua Hin subdistrict—another place where almost every home hung red cloth—villagers uniformly said they did this to protect against the "widow ghost." This followed rumors about two men in nearby subdistricts who suddenly died of stroke-like symptoms two months earlier. Traditional Northeastern Thai beliefs passed down through generations say such deaths result from the widow ghost claiming lives as companions.
Mr. Lert Phutom, 73, from Nong No village, Moo 7, said that during the time of the death rumors, he had multiple consecutive nights of bad dreams and would wake abruptly at midnight hearing unusually intense howling and barking from dogs throughout the village. According to ancient beliefs, such dog howling signals they see things invisible to humans.
In his dreams, he saw two young women whom he immediately sensed were widow ghosts trying to lure him away with seductive tricks, but he refused. This caused repeated disturbances that nearly prevented him from sleeping. He then decided to hang a red shirt outside his home, following the belief that widow ghosts fear red. Afterward, he no longer had bad dreams and the dogs' howling stopped.
Besides the elderly, many children and young people also became fearful due to the rumors, leading them to hang red cloths, shirts, or umbrellas outside their homes to gain reassurance.
Meanwhile, some villagers who do not believe in the supernatural still chose not to disrespect the practice and hung red cloths alongside others, viewing it as harmless and a source of peace of mind.
Additionally, reports confirmed that after red cloths were hung throughout the area, no further unusual sudden deaths among men occurred in the village or nearby areas. This strengthened villagers' faith that the red cloth talisman truly works, and life continues normally amid the red symbols waving outside nearly every home in the subdistrict.