A spirit house or san phra phum in Thai (Thai ศาลพระภูมิ) is a shrine to animist spirits found in the Southeast Asian countries of Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand. Most houses and businesses have a spirit house placed in an auspicious spot, most often in a corner of the property. The location is often chosen after consultation with a Brahmin priest. The spirit house is normally in the form of a miniature temple and is mounted on a pillar or on a dais.
The house is intended to provide a shelter for spirits which could cause problems for the people if not appeased. Offerings are left at the house to propitiate the spirits.
Another form of Spirit House
Spirit Houses also refer to the above ground structures used by some of the Carrier people of Northern British Columbia (for example, Nazko) for burial rites and rituals. The Spirit Houses contain artifacts family and clan members have deposited for their loved ones life on the other side.
