Mysterious Spirit Shrine Draws Hundreds to Ta Sae Village Ritual
Hundreds gathered at a Ta Sae village school for a merit-making ceremony honoring a local spirit deity, with unusual offerings of cosmetics and beauty items reflecting the "Mistress of the Barber Shop" legend dating to 1937. The shrine is b
Recently, Ban Ran Tat Phom School in Mueang 4, Thung Sam Pee Nong subdistrict, Ta Sae district, Chumphon province, drew large crowds for a grand merit-making ceremony honoring the spirit known as the "Mistress of the Barber Shop," a venerated local deity. The event was steeped in spiritual atmosphere and reverence.
The ceremony was organized with high significance, presided over by Wichit Sukprawit, headmaster of Ban Ran Tat Phom School, and Kitti Tephtem, former head of the Thung Sam Pee Nong subdistrict administration. Buddhist monks from the local temple conducted merit-making rites. Renowned local sage Piphpat Namphai served as the ritual master, invoking celestial spirits and communicating with the sacred presence. Hundreds of villagers gathered seeking blessings and fortune.
The most striking element of the offerings was their uniqueness—beyond traditional silk cloths, auspicious fruits such as banana blossoms, oranges, pineapples, and red apples, and Thai sweets and gold leaf donations, the shrine received cosmetics, traditional Thai clothing, powder, lipstick, perfume, skin cream, mirrors, and combs, symbolizing beauty and the shop's name. These were presented alongside graceful ritualistic dances dedicated to the spiritual presence.
Kitti revealed a remarkable legend: in 1937, the area was dense forest. Early settlers discovered something extraordinary by a local stream—a wide stone platform bearing a naturally formed stone chair resembling an ancient barber's chair, with nearby rocks shaped like scissors and combs. "Surprisingly, villagers had repeatedly seen a woman in ancient Thai dress combing her hair on that stone chair, leading them to name her the Mistress of the Barber Shop. The village took its name from this legend and later enshrined her at the school as a spiritual focal point," Kitti explained.
The shrine has gained renown throughout the southern region for its spiritual power. Visitors seeking commercial success, employment, or lottery numbers have reportedly achieved their wishes consistently. Offerings of cosmetics and mirrors have never ceased. However, as visitor numbers grew, space at the school became cramped. School administrators and villagers decided to relocate the shrine to a new pavilion fronting the school, adjacent to the Ang Thong–Ban Pla rural road, to better accommodate pilgrims and fortune-seekers.
Starting June 18, 2025, a "tea drinking merit-making" fundraiser began to finance construction of the permanent shrine pavilion. After the ceremony, crowds of fortune-seekers eagerly paid their respects to the Mistress before purchasing lottery tickets.
