| Ma bong | |
| Folklore: | Thai folklore |
| Grouping: | Legendary creature |
| Sub Grouping: | Hybrid beast |
| Country: | Thailand |
| Region: | Lanna (Northern) |
| Habitat: | Rural areas |
Ma bong (Thai: ม้าบ้อง, มาบอง), or Phi Ma bong (ผีม้าบ้อง, ผีม้าบอง), simply Phi Ma (ผีม้า) is a supernatural being according to Thai beliefs. Ma bong is an evil spirit according to the beliefs of the Lanna people in northern region.
Its characteristics according to stories are different. Some say Ma bong is a creature with the body of a horse but the upper half of a human male. Believed that it is caused by men who have never had sex or had a partner before. Some told the story in the opposite way, it has a horse's bottom, but the top is a beautiful woman. It lures young male victims into having sex with it before killing them.[1] Or some believe that it is the spirit of a dead horse, also believed Ma bong likes to nibble on dried buffalo heads.
However, there is one thing that is consistent, Ma bong is related to horse. Its appearance is accompanied by the sound of neighing, galloping, and always disappearing, leaving a trail of horse tracks.[2]
The deceased singer and actor was a native of Phrae province, his hometown is 141NaN1 from downtown Phrae, surrounded by mountains and the Yom river flows through it. The words of the elders in the village said that Ma bong was a white horse with ancient warrior carrying weapon and shield riding on its back. It appears by galloping through the village dirt road from the mountain and disappeared across the Yom river. The elders confirmed that Ma bong was real and that they had seen it. This singer said that when he was a teenage, he used to gather with his friends to watch for appearances in the middle of the village many times but never saw any.[3]
In addition, it is believed that there is a narrow path between two houses near the Ping river in Chiang Mai province, it is the Ma bong's path.[4]
Ma bong has been appeared in at least two television dramas were Pom Pang Ban (2022) and Marvellous Love (2023), both aired on Channel 7 HD.[5] [6]