Home ›› 16 Apr 2022 ›› Asia Biz
Thai masters student Dhidhaj Sumedhsvast didn't believe in fortune-telling or supernatural powers until the coronavirus pandemic started two years ago.
Now, he regularly seeks the advice of fortune-tellers, wears lucky amulets, and has pictures of tarot cards as wallpaper on his phone.
"The pandemic has brought so many uncertainties that make us feel anxious," said Dhidhaj, 30, who started by praying to Kubera, the God of Wealth in Hindu mythology and a Buddhist deity, for protection against the economic fallout from the pandemic.
"When I started doing this, I felt safe. While others were affected by Covid and lost their jobs or income, I wasn't. So I believe in it more and more."
Like Dhidhaj, many in Thailand's anxiety-gripped young demographic have started to embrace fortune-telling and other forms of divination.
The pandemic has moved Thailand's distinct brand of divination from streets and storefronts to youth-oriented social media, helping fortune-tellers to reach a bigger audience.
"With the world like this, people need spiritual anchors," said Pimchat Viboonthaninkul, a 26-year-old fortune-teller who works exclusively online and who co-founded Mootae World that started the tarot card phone wallpaper trend last year.
Covid stress
Thai culture has long been steeped in astrology and forms of divination such as palm reading, tarot cards or numerology.
An estimated 78per cent of the Thai population believes in the supernatural according to a 2021 study by Mahidol University's College of Management (CMMU).
From consulting with Feng Shui masters to wearing monk-blessed amulets, Thai traditions all sit comfortably within the dominant Buddhist religion.
Thailand's largely informal fortune-telling industry is estimated to attract around 5 billion baht of spending ($150 million) per year since the pandemic started, up from around 4 billion, according to A Duang, a startup whose fortune-telling application has grown to nearly half a million users, mostly aged 18-30.
The app offers daily livestreams by some of its 7,000 fortune-tellers, during which users can spend 10 to 100 baht ($0.3-$3) for quick insights. It also offers private one-on-one card reading sessions at higher rates.
