Palad Khik [ปลัดขิก] is a replica of a penis of an adult, often made of wood and used as an amulet.

Palad Khik (penis amulet)

Palad Khik [ปลัดขิก] is a replica of a penis of an adult, often made of wood and used as an amulet. For many foreigners, it is a collectible.

The worship of this penis amulet has no erotic purpose whatsoever. According to a traditional belief, this practice spread to Thailand from India around 2,000 years ago. There are many legends trying to explain the origin of this worship, but the most convincing story is based on the worship of the Trimurti: Shiva, Brahma, and Vishnu. The three deities once appeared to worshipers. Brahma appeared with four faces and four arms while Vishnu appeared in his deity form, but Shiva only made his masculine part visible. After this apparition, amulets were created to represent the three deities as they appeared.

Thais adopt this Hindu belief and hang the amulet at the waist, believing that it will save them from harm. Even small children benefit from this amulet. When children are around 3-4 years old, they will start to wean off breast milk and are prone to getting sick because their immunity will decline. In the old days, when children fell ill, parents believed that a ghost was coming to take them away, but they could trick the ghost into believing that the sick children were already grown-ups simply by hanging an amulet shaped like an adult’s penis at the children’s waists.

Information by:

https://www.thailandfoundation.or.th/th/culture_heritage/9-quintessential-thai-amulets/