Tradition / Region: Thai Mythology
Alternative names: Phi Ma Bong, Phi Ma
Category: Horse
The Myth
Ma Bong is a supernatural spirit of the Lanna people of northern Thailand. Its appearance varies between traditions, although it is always closely associated with horses.
One tradition describes Ma Bong as having the lower body of a horse and the upper body of a human man. It is said to be the spirit of men who died without ever having a sexual partner. Another tradition identifies it as the spirit of a dead horse that feeds on dried buffalo heads. A third version portrays it as a creature with the lower body of a horse and the upper body of a beautiful woman who lures young men into intimate encounters before killing them.
Its presence is commonly announced by the sounds of neighing and galloping. When it disappears, only horse tracks remain.
The best-known Lanna tale tells of two close friends who regularly went out at night to court young women. One of them repeatedly left the path and disappeared into a nearby thicket, causing the other to become suspicious. After secretly following him, he discovered his friend ravenously licking the dried head of a buffalo.
Seeking help, he consulted a Buddhist monk, who advised him to smear chili peppers onto the buffalo head. When the hungry man returned and licked it, the burning chili caused him to flee in pain. By then he had become a Ma Bong, with the upper body of a man and the lower body of a horse. His eyes glowed red as he pursued his former friend.
Following the monk’s instructions, the fleeing man scattered raw eggs behind him. The starving spirit repeatedly stopped to eat them, allowing the man to reach home. He then turned his staircase upside down, confusing the Ma Bong. Unable to climb it, the spirit wandered around the house throughout the night, repeatedly muttering that the stairs were wrong and that it was not his house.
Different versions conclude the story in different ways. In one, the Ma Bong dies at dawn while still in its horse-like form. In another, it writhes in agony, foams at the mouth, transforms completely back into a human, and then dies.
Another tradition from Phrae Province describes Ma Bong as a white horse ridden by an ancient warrior carrying weapons and a shield. The apparition is said to gallop from the mountains through the village before vanishing after crossing the Yom River. Village elders claimed to have witnessed the ghostly rider, although later generations searched for it without success.
Sources
Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Ma bong. In Wikipedia. Retrieved June 29, 2026, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ma_bong