Luk Thep dolls are so popular in Thailand that Thai airlines has agreed to let people buy tickets for these supernatural dolls and flight attendants have received special instruction as to how to treat them ie. like kids. The dolls get snacks, drinks and have to be buckled in during takeoff and landing.

It seems odd – the stuff thrillers are made off – but these dolls have gripped childless Thai women. The eerie toys that are treated like real children are believed to bring the owners good fortune. The owners post photos of themselves and their Luk Thep dolls with proof of the luck they’ve brought them, such as lottery winnings or luxury travel. It is argued that the better the dolls are treated, the luckier they become. Some would argue that its the Law of Attraction, but others say that more sinister forces are at play.

The dolls are taken to monks to be blessed. Bangkok Post reports that hundreds of blessings take place each day. Phra Ajarn Vinai Thitapanyo, spends up to 10 minutes per day blessing the toys that are believed to be infused with children’s souls.

The fad is believed to be rooted in an ancient tradition when people believed in an ancient household divinity called Kuman Thong – a child embodiment that carried the remains of an unborn fetus.