At times, Thai 
people can be very superstitious. Not only do they wait for auspicious times to do things, but they also rely heavily on spirits to help protect them. I guess the longer I stay in Thailand, the more in-touch I become with Thai culture and start to become assimilated. This morning, I finally bought myself a statue of Nang Kwak. This spirit is supposed to bring wealth to the household and is particularly popular with shopkeepers. The spirit is dressed in traditional Thai dress. In her left hand is a money bag and her right hand is beckoning Thai style – palm down. She is either beckoning customers to come into the store or asking for wealth to come her way. Either way, hopefully it will bring good luck to our own book store.
This spirit is known throughout Asia, though she manifests in a different form. In the same shop where I bought this statue of Nang Kwak, there was another version though this one was a beckoning cat! To me, it looked too much like Hello Kitty so I decided to stick with a more traditional image. Now all I have to do is fix up an alter and make sure I give her some offerings of things like a glass of water and maybe some peeled fruit.
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Mention of “good luck” and “wealth” reminds me of a Chinese God that I once saw in a temple. This statue (see above) depicts a fiery looking Chinese man holding a large money bag in his right hand. People who want to be wealthy have to stroke the money bag with their left hand, directing it to their opened wallet in their right hand!
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Sometimes Nang Kwak can shape like a cat
So this is what they saw when farangs go bamboo?
Actually my Indian friends tell me this is a representation of Pavarati one of the Hindu gods or gods wives. She is supposed to bring prosperity. The Chinese use the same beckoning hand gesture with the image of a cartooned cat. A lot of Brahminism is still in Thai culture and many Hindu aspects as well. I believe this is a carryover from when Hinduism, then Buddhism first spread to the region from India.
Greetings all. The ‘cat’ is actually borrowed from the Japanese culture. By the way, is there a mantra meant for Nang Kwak? Thanks.
Hi there! went in search about Nang Kwak and was wondering if I should get one.
Had a strange dream..a thai monk praying over statues of kuman thong,nang kuat and and a student monk doing oferings. there was also a lady dressed in pink standing beside me to watch the session.??? What does this mean? next 2 days later dream of a little girl in my home asking for water? Can anybody comment???
Actually, it’s Neko, which is Japanese for cat. In this reference it’s Maneki Neko, literally “Beckoning Cat” (also known as Welcoming Cat, Lucky Cat, Money cat or Fortune Cat) is a common Japanese sculpture, often made of porcelain or ceramic, which is believed to bring good luck to the owner. The sculpture depicts a cat (traditionally a Japanese Bobtail) beckoning with an upright paw, and is usually displayed in stores, restaurants, pachinko parlours, and other businesses. A raised right paw supposedly attracts money, while a raised left paw attracts customers.
Further information at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maneki_Neko and http://www.namaii.com/manekineko/legend-of-maneki-neko.html
What I’m actually looking for is information on the Thai female “wai” statues that you find at the entrance to a lot of the stores in Thailand. Thanx.
rj
i want to get a nang kwak for my self but it is very expencive in singapore
Mai Nang Kwak mantra,
NA – SHA – LI – TI
I think i can help you to get a good one
I have a Nang Kwak that is riding a turtle. Do you know anything about this representation?
you can also offer her some cosmetics ect: lipstick or eye shadow
back again! nang kwak also like sweet food like thai desert or even a can of fanta or other soft drinks is okey and also pray to her every day or the spirit will go away
I bought a plastic Nang Kwak in Chaing Rai last year- it runs on one battery- she has on a gold head band and a dress of pink sequins with a hand that moves.
everyone that I work with wants one- where can I buy them?
she is a very good god .. very kindly .. nver get angry .. always also said :” Never mind, is ok ..”
i got 1 nang kuak in home but ,i thing i do something coz this 3 month i have verry bad situasion…. wat wrong wif me ..?
I wish to get one of this pendent. where shoud i get it from?