Tradition / Region: Thai Mythology
Alternative names: Phi Pao, Phong
Category: Ghost
The Myth
The Phi Phong is a ghost associated with failed black magic. It is said that those who practice dark sorcery without properly controlling its power may eventually become Phi Phong themselves.
According to tradition, the transformation begins with the cultivation of a mysterious magical plant called wan phi phong, whose white leaves glow in the darkness. As the plant grows, its leaves slowly begin to resemble the face of the person tending it. In time, the cultivator is transformed into a Phi Phong.
By day, a Phi Phong looks like an ordinary human and lives unnoticed among others. At night, however, its true nature is revealed. A dim flame shines from within its nostrils, while a sticky, wax-like substance drips down from its nose. Like the Phi Krasue and Phi Pop, it feeds upon impure things such as frogs, animal dung, rotting flesh, and afterbirth.
Although it generally avoids people, the Phi Phong can become dangerous if angered. It is said to cast strange objects onto the roofs of those who offend it, bringing sickness, misfortune, and even death upon the entire household.
One of the few ways to destroy a Phi Phong is to correctly identify the person who bears the curse and publicly declare them to be a Phi Phong. Once exposed, the spirit loses its power and dies.
The condition itself is believed to be contagious. Through saliva or contaminated food and water, the curse can pass from one person to another, much like other supernatural afflictions of Thai folklore.
Some traditions claim that sorcerers deliberately keep Phi Phong spirits within small containers. Inside rests a strange white larva or worm-like creature which, through spells and rituals, gradually transforms into a waxy substance. The spirit is fed with offerings such as gold leaf or needles and grants its keeper supernatural protection and resistance to harm. However, if the strict rituals are neglected, the spirit escapes and begins attacking people on its own.
Stories of Phi Phong are especially common near marshes and isolated fields. Villagers speak of mysterious red lights floating through the night sky, rising and falling above the darkness. These ghostly flames are said to be the wandering fire of the Phi Phong, silently searching for filth to consume before disappearing once more into the night.
Sources
Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Phong (ghost). In Wikipedia. Retrieved June 21, 2026, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phong_%28ghost%29