Spirit houses and shrines with offerings

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Thailand is about 95% Buddhist according to the sources I've seen. There is a small Muslim minority and an even smaller group of Christians. Officially the form of Buddhism here is called Theravada Buddhism, which is the oldest form of Buddhism, preceding Mahayana, Tantric, and Tibetan Buddhism. I was confused when I first got here, however, about all of the offerings I would see in various places. It seems that Buddhism here is actually greatly influenced by Hinduism, as well as by ancient animist beliefs and ancestor worship.

I remember being surprised when I first saw the shrine on the third floor at my school. Although there were many buddhas present, it didn't strike me as particularly Buddhist. I guess it was the assortment of other things that were also on the shrine that suprised me-- a pack of Marlboros, an almost-empty bottle of Johnny Walker Black Label whiskey, a red Fanta, and a collection of toy robots and cars, among other things. This definitely wasn't the kind of Buddhism I had seen in Tibet or Boulder and I'm still not entirely sure what to make of it.

The offerings on that altar were more similar to what I've seen offered to the spirit houses, a feature of most Thai houses and also some hotels, guesthouses, businesses, and schools. The spirit houses are usually ornate little buildings on matching pedestals, sometimes with small human and animal figures inside. The spirit houses don't necessarily have to be fancy, though. I've seen plywood versions, too, that surely must do the same thing but just aren't as aesthetically pleasing. There is sometimes a separate table in front of the spirit house on which to place offerings, but sometimes the offerings are put right at the 'front door' of the spirit house. From what I've read and also seen at my school, the spirit houses are to be tended to every day. Possible and popular offerings are: incense, rice, water, flowers, Fanta (usually the red kind, I've noticed, sometimes the green, but least frequently the orange kind), fruit, or cooked food. The idea is that the benevolent spirits will be pleased by the offerings and protect the people within. I've also recently read that it is also thought that evil spirits will eat the offerings and be satisfied enough to move on to another place without harming anyone. You often see two spirit houses side by side, with one being larger and taller. I haven't yet discovered the significance behind that, but I will have to remember to ask someone.

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Photos

School spirit houses
The director herself or someone else would take incense and other offerings out to the spirit house each morning before school