Life-size dolls believed to possess the spirits of child angels have become popular in recent months. The dolls, known in Thai as luk thep, are believed to bring good fortune. These dolls are purchased for hundreds of dollars and are blessed by Buddhist monks. Many owners attend to the dolls as if they are their children. Shops are selling clothing, jewelry and beauty treatments for the dolls. A buffet restaurant in the Thai capital, Bangkok, offers them children's meals. But the privileges spent on them have also drawn concern and warning from authorities and psychologists in Thailand. Nattasuda Taephant is director of psychological wellness at Chulalongkorn University. She says if the dolls help their owners feel better, then the fad is rather harmless. But if it crosses the boundary of reality, and they believe they can talk to the luk thep doll, that would be something concerning in terms of mental health."
Title: Thai Officials Worry About Child Doll Superstition
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/794/dolls_audio.m4a' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='Thai Officials Worry About Child Doll Superstition' data-article-id='1200'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='9583'>Life-size dolls believed to possess the spirits of child angels have become popular in recent months.</span> <span data-start-time='9583' data-end-time='17917'>The dolls, known in Thai as luk thep, are believed to bring good fortune. </span> <span data-start-time='17917' data-end-time='25500'>These dolls are purchased for hundreds of dollars and are blessed by Buddhist monks.</span> <span data-start-time='25500' data-end-time='32042'> Many owners attend to the dolls as if they are their children.</span> <span data-start-time='32042' data-end-time='39792'>Shops are selling clothing, jewelry and beauty treatments for the dolls. </span> <span data-start-time='39792' data-end-time='47813'>A buffet restaurant in the Thai capital, Bangkok, offers them children's meals.</span> <span data-start-time='47813' data-end-time='59438'>But the privileges spent on them have also drawn concern and warning from authorities and psychologists in Thailand.</span> <span data-start-time='59438' data-end-time='68854'>Nattasuda Taephant is director of psychological wellness at Chulalongkorn University.</span> <span data-start-time='68854' data-end-time='77146'>She says if the dolls help their owners feel better, then the fad is rather harmless.</span> <span data-start-time='77146' data-end-time='90375'>But if it crosses the boundary of reality, and they believe they can talk to the luk thep doll, that would be something concerning in terms of mental health."</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/794/doll_image.jpg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=5176 data-hint-location='9583' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/794/what_does_fortune_mean.m4a'>What does fortune mean?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='the good and bad things that happen to someone'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/794/an_image_of_a_person.m4a'><span>an image of a person</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/794/very_popular_for_a_short_time.m4a'><span>very popular for a short time</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/794/a_belief.m4a'><span>a belief</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/794/the_good_and_bad_things_that_happen_to_someone.m4a'><span>the good and bad things that happen to someone</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=5177 data-hint-location='0' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/794/the_dolls_are_believed_to_possess_what_type_of_spirits.m4a'>The dolls are believed to possess what type of spirits?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='child angels'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/794/god.m4a'><span>God</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/794/deceased_family.m4a'><span>deceased family</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/794/child_angels.m4a'><span>child angels</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/794/loved_ones.m4a'><span>loved ones</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=5178 data-hint-location='25500' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/794/_many_owners_attend_to_the_dolls_as_if_they_are_their__blank_.m4a'> Many owners attend to the dolls as if they are their <span class='blank'>children</span>.</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='children'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/794/children.m4a'><span>children</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/794/property.m4a'><span>property</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/794/parents.m4a'><span>parents</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/794/toys.m4a'><span>toys</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button class='speak-button'></button></div></div></div>
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