In Bangkok, the street speaks in symbols. One of the loudest? A bottle of strawberry Fanta, 
opened, straw inserted, placed reverently at a spirit house.
It’s not a drink. It’s a ritual.
Across Thailand, red soda—most often Fanta—is offered to guardian spirits (Jao Thi) who dwell in 
roadside shrines and temple corners. It’s a modern echo of ancient animism: once, animal blood 
was spilled to honor the spirits. Now, red soda stands in its place—sweet, vibrant, humane.
The color red carries weight. It’s auspicious, protective, and alive. Spirits are said to enjoy 
sweetness, color, and convenience. So the bottle is opened ,  straw inserted—ready for the 
unseen.
This isn’t superstition. It’s street mythology. A living language of respect, protection, and belief.

Zebra Sutra & the Urban Offering
Zebra Sutra sees the red soda bottle the same way it sees the zebra statues lining Bangkok’s 
sidewalks: as urban totems. Street-level icons. Mythic signals.
Both the zebra and the soda bottle are offerings—not just to spirits, but to the city itself. They

mark places of power, places of pause. They say: this space is watched, this space is sacred. 
Sutra becomes Myth
Street becomes Myth