English Version
Thailand is one of Asia’s most popular travel destinations, drawing visitors from around the world. In recent years, it has also become known as a comfortable place for semi-retired expatriates to settle down.
But Thailand also has some deeply unsettling tourist spots. One of the most famous is the Siriraj Medical Museum in Bangkok, an offbeat attraction known for its disturbing medical displays. Among its most talked-about exhibits was the mummy of a man known as Si Quey.
A Museum Full of Strange Specimens
Located west of central Bangkok, the Siriraj Medical Museum has long been known as one of the city’s creepiest museums. Inside, visitors have seen anatomical specimens, skeletons, and preserved bodies related to medical study.
The exhibit most often associated with the museum was the mummy of Si Quey. Mummies often carry a sacred or historical image, but Si Quey’s case was different. His name became tied to a horrifying criminal story.
From Sickly Child to Thailand’s Most Feared Killer
According to the commonly told account, Si Quey was born in 1932 in a poor region of China. He was physically weak, lived with a disability, and was bullied as a child.
One day, an elderly man supposedly told him, “If you eat human hearts and livers, you will become strong.” Si Quey reportedly began by eating the hearts and livers of animals. The advice had been about human organs, but at that time, he was not able to kill a person.
Then World War II broke out. Si Quey served as a soldier in Vietnam, where hunger and suffering are said to have damaged his mental state. According to the story, this was when he first cut organs from dead soldiers and ate them.
After the war ended, however, his condition seemed to calm down. He moved to Thailand and began working as a dock laborer.
At first, there were no major problems. But over time, exhaustion from work and difficulty adapting to life in a foreign culture reportedly caused his mental health to deteriorate again. In that state, he remembered the words he had heard as a child: “If you eat human hearts and livers, you will become strong.”
Si Quey was accused of murdering six children in Thailand. In some cases, he was said to have eaten their internal organs. After the deaths of several young children, he was arrested in 1956.
Abandoned by Both His Homeland and His New Country
Thai police reportedly attempted to send Si Quey back to China. China, however, refused to accept him because his crimes were considered too horrific.
As a result, he was tried in Thailand and sentenced to death.
Because he was viewed as such a terrifying figure, the judgment reportedly included an unusual statement: there was no need to perform memorial rites for him after his execution. After his death, his body was preserved as a mummy and displayed at the Siriraj Medical Museum, turning him into one of Bangkok’s most disturbing offbeat attractions.
Adapted Into a Film
Si Quey’s life was later adapted into a film known as “The Man-Eater.” Like most films based on real events, it includes dramatized elements. However, some viewers consider it less of a pure horror movie and more of a social drama.
That is because the film also touches on issues such as discrimination and poverty in Thailand, while keeping graphic gore and jump-scare-style horror relatively restrained. A Japanese-language version also exists.
That said, it is not a film with a clean or satisfying ending. It may not be a good choice for viewers who dislike bleak, lingering stories.
The Mummy’s Display Was Nearing Its End
Si Quey’s mummy had quietly become famous as one of Thailand’s unusual “B-list” tourist attractions. However, in 2019, it was decided that his remains would be cremated.
In recent years, a theory gained attention that Si Quey may have been falsely accused because he was not fluent in Thai. Some people even argued that only one murder could truly be attributed to him, and that the other accusations may have been false.
Online, a movement spread calling for Si Quey to be cremated after decades of being displayed as a mummy, with supporters saying his dignity should be restored. Around 10,000 signatures were collected.
The hospital that manages the Siriraj Medical Museum responded to the petition and decided to proceed with cremation. At the time this article was updated, procedures for the cremation were reportedly underway, and the mummy that had long served as one of the museum’s most famous exhibits was expected to be removed soon.
If you plan to visit the museum, check the current exhibit status in advance and follow all museum rules. Displays involving human remains can change, and photography or access may be restricted.
A Respected Mummy in Thailand
Si Quey’s mummy was feared, but Thailand also has a mummy that is treated with respect.
On Koh Samui, a paradise island in southern Thailand, Wat Khunaram is home to a mummy that many people visit for prayer. The mummy is Luang Pho Daeng, a revered monk who began his religious training at the age of 50.
Before his death, he told his disciples that he wanted his body to be enshrined as a mummy. In accordance with his wishes, his body is displayed inside the temple.
More than 40 years have passed since he became a mummy, but his body is still extremely well preserved, and visitors can clearly see his form. However, because the eyes were considered too graphic, sunglasses were placed on his face. For travelers, it may feel like one of Thailand’s most unusual mummy-related sights.
When visiting temples or religious sites, dress respectfully, follow posted rules, and remember that these places are active spaces of worship, not just tourist attractions.
Summary
Si Quey’s mummy was once one of Bangkok’s most infamous offbeat attractions, connected to a disturbing story of murder, rumor, punishment, and public display. But as doubts about his case spread, calls grew to remove the mummy and restore his dignity through cremation.
For horror fans and dark tourism travelers, the story remains a chilling example of how crime, folklore, medicine, and public memory can become tangled together in one unsettling exhibit.
Japanese Language
アジアで大人気の観光地として、世界各地から多くの観光客が集まるタイ。近年では住みやすい国としてセミリタイアした人々が移住先として選んでいるという一面もあります。しかし、そんなタイには気味の悪い観光スポットがあることをご存知でしょうか。今回はタイのB級スポットとして名高いシリラート医学博物館のミイラについて紹介します。。公開日：2019年10月8日 更新日：2020年1月30日 。奇妙な展示物まみれの博物館。。バンコク中心部から西部へ向かったところにあるシリラート医学博物館。
気味の悪い博物館として知られ、館内には奇形の標本や骸骨などが展示されています。その中でも代表的なものが、 シーウィーという人物のミイラ です。ミイラと聞くと神聖なものというイメージがあるかもしれませんが、シーウィーは例外。なぜなら、彼には恐ろしい過去があるためです。。病弱な男からタイ史上最悪の殺人鬼になるまで。。シーウィーは、1932年に中国の貧しい地域で生まれました。もともと体が弱い上に障がいを持っており、気がつけばいじめられっ子に。
そんな時、ある老人がシーウィーに対してこのようなことを告げました。「人間の心臓と肝臓を食べれば、強くなれる」 。教えてもらったシーウィーは、早速動物の心臓と肝臓を食べ始めます。教えてもらった内容では人間の心臓と肝臓でしたが、この頃のシーウィーには人を殺すことはできませんでした。。その後、第二次世界大戦が勃発。シーウィーは兵士としてベトナムで戦ったものの、飢えと痛みによって精神が崩壊。。ここでついに、シーウィーは戦争で亡くなった兵士から内臓を切り取って食べることになります。
。ただ、彼の精神は戦争が終わると落ち着きを見せます。第二次世界大戦が終わると、シーウィーはタイに引っ越して港湾労働者に。。。最初は問題ありませんでしたが、次第に仕事の疲労や異国の文化に馴染めずに再び精神が崩壊。そんな中で、彼は「 人間の心臓と肝臓を食べれば、強くなれる 」という言葉を思い出します。彼はその言葉の通りに、タイで子供6人を殺害しました。殺した子供の中には、実際に内臓を食べたケースも。数多くの幼い子供の命を奪ったシーウィーは、1956年に逮捕されました。
。祖国からも移住先からも見捨てられた男の行く末。。タイ警察は彼を祖国である中国に返そうとしました。しかし、中国側はあまりにも恐ろしい犯罪者だった故に拒否。。結局タイで裁かれることになり、死刑が言い渡されました。。タイでも恐ろしい人物として判断されていたため、判決書には「 処刑後に供養する必要はない 」という異例の内容が記載されることに。その結果、シーウィーは処刑後にミイラとしてシリラート医学博物館に展示されてしまい、気味の悪い観光スポットとなりました。
「人食殺人鬼」として映画化。シーウィーの人生は、のちに「人食殺人鬼」というタイトルで映画化。もちろん映画として楽しませるため脚色されている部分もありますが、ホラー映画ではなく社会派映画と評価する人もいます。なぜなら、「人食殺人鬼」ではタイでの差別問題や貧困問題なども取り上げられている一方で、 グロテスクなシーンや怖がらせるシーンが控えめ だからです。日本語版もあるため、気になる方は一度見ていてはいかがでしょうか。。ちなみにスッキリとした終わり方ではない（駄作という意味ではありませんが）ため、 後味の悪い映画が苦手な方にはおすすめできません。
。シーウィーが見られるのは残りわずか。。タイのB級スポットとして密かな話題となっていたシーウィーのミイラですが、2019年に火葬されることが決定しました。近年、シーウィーはタイ語が苦手だったために濡れ衣を着せられたという説が浮上。殺人自体も1人だけで、それ以外は嘘ではないかという声さえ挙がっています。。ネット上では「 数十年に渡ってミイラとして晒され続けたシーウィーを火葬して、彼の尊厳を回復させよう！」という意見が広まり、1万人もの署名が集まりました。
シリラート医学博物館を管理する病院は、その署名を受けて火葬を決意。現在は、火葬するための手続きが行われており、博物館の顔となっていたミイラがもうそろそろで撤去される予定です。恐ろしいミイラもいれば尊敬されるミイラもいる。。ここまではシーウィーのミイラを紹介しましたが、タイにはシーウィーとは反対に尊敬されるミイラもいます。タイ南部に浮かぶ楽園の島、サムイ島。ここのワットクラナム寺院には、多くの人々が祈りに来るミイラがいます。ミイラの名前はルアン・ポー・デーンであり、50歳から修行を始めた高僧。
。画像引用元： サムイ島 。彼は亡くなる前にミイラとして祀ってもらいたいことを弟子に告げており、その内容通りに堂々と寺院内に飾られています。ミイラとして40年以上経っていますが保存状態は非常に良く、はっきりとミイラの様子を確認できます。ただし、目だけグロテスクという理由からサングラスをかけており。観光客としてはユニークなミイラと思えるかもしれません。。まとめ。今回は、バンコクのB級スポットであるシーウィーのミイラについて紹介しました。まもなく撤去される予定のため、気になる方は早めにバンコクへ行ってみましょう
