Tradition / Region: Myanmar Mythology
Alternative names: Tasei
Category: Ghost

The Myth

The Thayé are the spirits of wicked people who, after death, are condemned to wander as disembodied ghosts. Feared throughout Myanmar, they are believed to roam both towns and countryside, bringing misfortune and disease to the living.

Thayé are often described as terrifying figures. They appear as tall, dark beings with enormous ears, long tongues, and tusk-like teeth. However, no two are necessarily alike, and they are said to possess many forms. Some are slender male ghosts, while others appear as strange female spirits, including bloated pregnant ghosts with fat white bodies and oversized ears.

These spirits are most active around noon and during the night. In rural areas, people traditionally blamed them for outbreaks of sickness and epidemics, believing that Thayé spread diseases such as cholera and smallpox among villages.

Because of their varied appearances, travelers could never be certain what form a Thayé might assume. Some appeared monstrous and unmistakable, while others took more human shapes, making them difficult to recognize until it was too late.

Thus, the Thayé are remembered as the restless ghosts of evil people, condemned after death to wander the world and bring suffering upon the living.

Sources

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Thayé. In Wikipedia. Retrieved June 20, 2026, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thay%C3%A9