Everyone should be familiar with live selling by now, with hundreds and thousands of sellers taking their shops and funny sales tactics online, especially on Facebook Live. With so many of them, few make it big and a Thai lady has been one of them lately. It's not because of a pretty face or an amazing body, it's not because her products are exceptionally marvelous, it's because she is an "Underworld Live Host".

  
The live host we're talking about is Kanittha Thongnak and what makes her stand out is that she sells clothes...of people who have passed away. She even puts on scary makeup during her live sessions while selling these clothes, sending chills up viewers' spines.

  
Thongnak starts her live sessions at 10pm every night. Even though she sells clothes like many others, her main content is when she tells the story behind the clothes. For example, she would explain that the previous owner of a piece of clothing died of murder, or the previous owner of another clothing committed suicide out of heartbreak. Thongnak seems to act as a messenger of the underworld, telling vivid and ghastly stories and attracting thousands of viewers to her live sessions, most of them there to listen to the "horror tales" rather than to make a purchase.

  
32 year old Thongnak did come from a background of selling second-hand clothes, but business has been unfavorable due to the pandemic, so she turned her attention to live selling. However, it didn't turn out well and she felt discouraged. One day, as Thongnak was attending a funeral, she realized there was a huge pile of clothes of the deceased. The family members would have the funeral parlor burn the clothes after a monk recite some scriptures. Thongnak felt that it was such a waste as the clothes were of good quality and there were even some branded items.

  
Thongnak didn't want to see all those nice clothes getting burned, so she picked up her courage and explained her doubts to the monk and funeral parlor. She mentioned that the clothes can be sold to give it a second life. Thongnak had some scruples about whether it was proper or morally right, after all, they were still clothes of the deceased, but the monk told her it would be fine after the reciting of scriptures. The funeral parlor was also supportive of her idea. This allowed her to let down her worries while collecting the clothes.

Sometimes, unexpected circumstances have unexpected effects. Thongnak was concerned about how to sell the clothes initially. One time before her live session, she accidentally applied too much and too white of a makeup foundation. When she wanted to clean it off, her water supply was cut. Eventually, she decided to make the best of the situation and worked around her white foundation to make up as a ghost. She went in front of the camera and started telling horror stories. What followed was an increase of spectators and fame for being the "Underworld Live Host". Her high quality clothes that were sold at a very low price also attracted many buyers who didn't mind the taboos and superstitions.

  
Every time she finished a batch of clothes, she would donate a portion of the money to the temple while obtaining a new collection. After all, they are the "supplier" of her second-hand clothes. Thongnak only wishes for her business to get better so she can improve her home and living conditions. As preached by the monk, there are things that the deceased cannot bring with them. If these things find a willing owner, it is much better (also for the environment) than burning them.

So, would you dare watch her live videos?

*Cover images from NY Post (Left) & SCMP YouTube (Right)