As the head of Thailand's Securities and Exchange Commission, Thirachai Phuvanatnaranubala is one of the country's most powerful policy makers. But his true passion isn't GDP growth or inflation rates. He's co-author of an English-language book of prophecies called "Know Your Future," which uses the Thai zodiac to predict, among other things, an al Qaeda terrorist attack in 2014 and an Obama reelection victory in 2012.
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Thailand's fate is in the stars
A fortune teller waits for customers at the Wat Mahabut temple in Bangkok. (Damir Sagolj, Reuters )
A major government figure dabbling in astrology would raise eyebrows in many countries (think former First Lady Nancy Reagan ). But in Thailand, where ghosts are real and no important decision is made without consulting a fortune teller, Thirachai's interest is commonplace. "Astrology is very prevalent in Thai life. It's almost a given, and politicians are no exception," he said in the SEC's offices in a high-rise in the city's embassy district, with the soaring skyline visible behind him.
As Thailand gears up for a contentious national election on July 3, pitting groups loyal to the monarchy and the military against supporters of populist former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the country's booming astrology industry has never been more prominent. With the election expected to further inflame already deep political and societal tensions, and Thailand's dizzying economic development creating complex social problems , Thais are turning to fortunetellers for answers and comfort. Meanwhile, politicians at the highest level, eager to gain an advantage over their rivals, employ personal fortune tellers to give them strategic advice.
In a 2008 study, the Kasikorn Research Center estimated that Bangkok residents spent 2.5 billion Thai baht (about $81 million dollars) on fortune telling services, and that nearly 40% of the capital's residents bought books or magazines to study the subject. The Bangkok-based International Astrology Association, one of several such groups here, counts more than 50,000 members, and its classes on topics such as palmistry and face reading are regularly full.
Narongrat Phootirattaya, a teacher at the association, said he had seen an explosion of interest among young people in recent years. "They have a lot of problems now, and they need astrologers to help them solve these problems. In Thailand, people don't go to a psychologist. They go to an astrologer," he said.
Fortune telling is popular in many other parts of Asia, as well. In interviews here, many said it helped people make sense of the world or solve their problems. Others said it's a bridge to the past and part of Thai identity.
Technology has driven much of the industry's expansion. A generation ago, fortune tellers set up shop in ramshackle storefront parlors, where they gave face-to-face readings one customer at a time. Today, the most prominent ones preside over far-reaching media empires, starring in TV shows and running websites. Quite a few have become famous and wealthy.
One of the biggest is Hutta Lekajit, a 41-year-old former monk who is the marquee attraction of The Miracle Channel, a satellite station devoted to the supernatural. On a recent evening, Hutta, wearing a pink pinstripe shirt and white leather loafers, welcomed some guests to his office at a media complex on the outskirts of Bangkok.
With its mismatched vinyl chairs and desks strewn with computer equipment , the office could have been the home of a tech startup. As half a dozen editors cut and spliced footage of the show in cramped cubicles, Hutta picked through stacks of fan mail and discussed his twice-weekly show, in which mostly poor Thais go on air to tell him about their problems.
"People come on my show if bad things are happening to them, like divorces or debt. They get very emotional when they talk about these things. But I help them solve their problems," said Hutta, who smiles frequently and has a baby face that makes him look 10 years younger than he is.
Hutta said "Hutta Kit" attracts a million viewers a week and is the fourth-rated cable program in Thailand. Strangers regularly recognize him on the street, and he makes what he calls a "comfortable" living. It's a far cry from his life as a monk 20 years ago in an austere cave temple, where he learned to meditate and hone what he calls his unique power, the ability to see the future while staring into the flame of a burning candle.
While Hutta's working methods are decidedly low-fi, he has embraced the power – and limitless reach – of modern communications tools. Viewers can watch his show through satellite, local cable or the internet. He also has a popular Facebook page and uses text-messaging to reach Thais in rural provinces with poor internet coverage. " The technology is great because I can help poor people who couldn't otherwise afford a reading," he said.
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