Mae Nak, perhaps the most famous female ghost in Thai culture, is traditionally said to have died in childbirth while her husband Mak was away on military duty. As a phi tai tang klom, or a woman who dies with a child in her womb, her ghost combines notions of dangerous fertility with romantic fidelity, making her an ambivalent figure in Thai modernity.

Thai PBS describes "phi tai thong klom" as follows: "Phi tai thong klom is another Thai ghost that is both frightening and has been told about for a long time. Its form is a woman who dies while the child is still in her womb. In belief it is considered very haunted because it is also a phi tai hong (a ghost who dies without realizing they have died)." The article continues: "With this belief in its haunting power and fearfulness, it is often made into films and dramas, especially the story of ‘Mae Nak Phra Khanong’, the ghost woman who died in childbirth and still waits for her husband out of love."

In this feature, the newspaper describes Mae Nak as "the most famous 'phi tai thong klom' ghost in Thai memory." It explains that she is believed to have died in childbirth while her husband Mak was away serving as a soldier. The piece underscores that in traditional belief, a woman who dies together with her unborn child is both a 'phi tai thong klom' and, because of the sudden and unnatural manner of death, a 'phi tai hong'.

The temple’s history page says that Mae Nak Phra Khanong, also called Nang Nak, is a well‑known Thai ghost who died while pregnant. It explains that people believe the story took place in the late reign of King Rama III and that there is now a Mae Nak shrine at Wat Mahabut in Bangkok. The description notes that she is a long‑haired woman holding a baby, standing by the waterside, reflecting the belief that she died in pregnancy/childbirth and became a powerful spirit.

According to Thai folklore, this tragic tale took place in the village of Phra Khanong during the reign of King Mongkut (Rama IV). A beautiful young woman named Nang Nak was pregnant, when her husband, Nai Maak, was summoned to battle. Due to complications during labor, Nang Nak and her unborn child both perished. Nai Maak, though, never heard this news. After a long period of absence, he returned home to greet his wife and child — not realizing that they were both, in fact, ghosts!

In Thai folk taxonomy of spirits, ‘phi tai tang klom’ (also written ‘phi tai hong tong klom’ in some transliterations) refers specifically to the ghost of a woman who died during pregnancy or childbirth with the fetus still inside. Mae Nak’s story is commonly cited as the archetypal example of this type of spirit in modern discussions of Thai ghosts and popular religion.

“ผีตายโหง or 'PHI TAI HONG' are the most fearful ghost. These spirits died of violent death (murder, crash car and so on...). The velocity of their death surprised them. The most powerful of all is 'PHI TAI HONG TONG KLOM' (ผีตายโหงทองกลม), spirit of a pregnant woman. This ghost is more powerful because it has the power of two people. Thai people are really afraid of these ghosts. Even today the belief is still strong in Thai society.”

The article recounts the plot: the tragic love begins while Pho Mak is away at war. Mae Nak dies during childbirth, becoming a ‘phi tai thong klom’ (a ghost of a woman who dies pregnant), and continues to wait for Mak at the riverside every dusk. It also notes that Nang Nak is a Thai film adapted from an old folktale, which some say comes from legend and some say from stories passed down orally that are assumed to have been told since the reign of King Rama IV.

In Thai belief, Mae Nak Phra Khanong is classified as a type of ‘phi tai hong’ spirit. More specifically she is called ‘phi tai tang klom’, meaning a ghost of a woman who died during pregnancy or in childbirth with the baby still in her womb. This status as a restless, violent spirit is central to the traditional telling of the Mae Nak story.

“The story of The Lady Nak of Phra Khanong or Mae Nak Phra Khanong is a very popular ghost story in Thailand about a wife waiting for her husband even in her death… During the reign of King Rama IV in the mid 1800s, there lived a woman named Mae Nak. She lived together with her husband, Mak on the banks of the Phra Khanong Canal in Bangkok until he was conscripted to fight in a war… During this time, Mae Nak was pregnant and waiting for her husband’s return, but the birth of their child would be struck with tragedy. While in labor, she died together with their child after a long and difficult birth. But instead of going to the afterlife, she turned into a powerful spirit called Phi Tai Hong Thong Klom (ผีตายโหงทองกลม), a vengeful and restless spirit of a person that suffered a violent or cruel death.”

“The narrative of Mae Nak Phra Khanong tells of a young pregnant woman whose husband is drafted to war. During his absence, she dies giving birth, but her spirit continues to inhabit the house. This places Mae Nak among the class of spirits known as phi tai hong, those who die suddenly or violently. In some local interpretations, she is further specified as tai thang klom, a pregnant woman dying with her child, a form of ghost that local belief holds to be particularly dangerous and powerful.”

This retelling calls Mae Nak “one of the most popular ghosts in Thailand” and explains: the tragic love story begins while Pho Mak is away at war; Mae Nak dies during childbirth, becoming a ‘phi tai thong klom’ (a ghost of a woman who dies while still pregnant) who continues to linger waiting for Mak every evening at the riverside of Phra Khanong. The piece notes that some say the story is based on legend, some say it has a real kernel, and others see it as an oral tale handed down among villagers since the reign of King Rama IV.

Sanook explains the belief: "Mae Nak Phra Khanong is the archetype of a phi tai thong klom that makes Thai people shiver whenever they picture it." It adds that stories from villagers describe such ghosts as spirits of mothers and children who die together, often in childbirth or accidents, and that these deaths are categorized as 'phi tai thong klom' and also 'phi tai hong' (violent or unnatural death), making them especially feared.

This folklore site describes the traditional story: while Mae Nak is pregnant, Thit Mak is conscripted as a soldier and at first can still visit her, but later must march north for several months. By the time the army returns, it is about two months after Nak’s due date. During Mak’s absence, Nak dies in childbirth and becomes a ghost who continues to live with Mak when he returns, before the villagers and monks try to end the haunting at Wat Mahabut.

Mae Nak is a female spirit who died during childbirth while her husband was away at war. Her love for him was so strong that even after her death, her spirit stayed behind to wait for his return. Today, Mae Nak’s spirit is said to reside at Wat Mahabut, a temple in Bangkok where a shrine is dedicated to her.

This blog essay on old Thai beliefs notes: "A woman who dies while giving birth, and both mother and child die, is called 'tai thong klom' or 'tai thung klom'. If the mother dies but the child survives, this is not counted as tai thong klom." It further argues that such a death is a kind of tai hong (violent/unnatural death) and that ghosts of this type are considered especially fierce, because there are effectively two spirits—the mother and the child—together. The piece treats Mae Nak Phra Khanong as a paradigmatic example of this type of ghost.

This synopsis of the film ‘Nang Nak’ mirrors the folkloric elements: in scene 17, Nak cannot deliver the baby because the child does not turn its head, causing her extreme suffering and leading to her death during labor. Earlier, the plot has Mak called away as a soldier, leaving his pregnant wife alone in Phra Khanong. The narrative thus aligns with the widely told version where Nak dies in childbirth while Mak is away and later appears as a ghost.

In this history-focused video essay on Mae Nak, the presenter recounts the popular version of the legend: during the reign of King Rama III, Mae Nak goes into labor but cannot deliver the baby despite the midwife’s efforts, and she dies while giving birth. Villagers then bury Nak’s body in the cemetery behind Wat Mahabut. The narration emphasizes that because Nak died a violent and sudden death while still concerned about her husband, her spirit lingers as a powerful ghost associated with the category ‘phi tai hong’ and, specifically in many tellings, ‘phi tai thang klom’ (a ghost of a woman who dies while pregnant).

This explanatory blog on Thai ghost categories notes: ‘Phi tai thang klom’ refers to a woman who dies during pregnancy or childbirth with the fetus still in the womb, considered an especially powerful and dangerous ghost. As an example, the writer cites famous stories such as Mae Nak Phra Khanong, which is commonly described as the ghost of a woman who died during childbirth while still pregnant and then haunted her husband and the surrounding area.