Southeast Asia is full of wonders, whether it’s beautiful beaches, magnificent temples, stunning mountains, or mouth-watering food. But for those who have the courage, Southeast Asia is also full of spooky places where horror enthusiasts could satisfy their thirst of adventures. If you’re up for it, here are some of the spookiest places in Southeast Asia.
1. Lawang Sewu, Indonesia
The name ‘Lawang Sewu’ is Javanese for ‘a thousand doors’, which perfectly described the appearance of the building with so many doors clearly visible. The building itself shouldn’t be scary since it was built by the Dutch during the colonial time as a railway office. But what happened next is said to be the reason why this building is notorious for its spookiness.
After the Dutch, Indonesia was colonised by the Japanese, as were most of Southeast Asia and some parts of East Asia. Although the Japanese occupation was much shorter than that of the Dutch, it's known to have been ludicrously cruel and barbaric. It's believed that the Japanese committed atrocities at Lawang Sewu, including raping and murdering both Indonesian and Dutch women.
Some horror and paranormal enthusiasts claimed that the spirit of a Dutch woman could be seen and felt occupying this building. Some people theorized that she was one of the many victims of the atrocities perpetrated by the Japanese soldiers. There are also dark chambers and tunnels beneath the building, which some people claimed to be full of restless spirits.
2. Tuol Sleng Museum, Cambodia
This museum which is located in the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh, was one of silent witnesses of Cambodian darkest age, the Khmer Rouge era with Pol Pot as the leader. This museum used to be a school building and was repurposed as a prison camp to jail people who were considered as the enemies by the Pol Pot’s bloody regime.
During the four years of Pol Pot’s totalitarian control, around 20,000 people were imprisoned in this building and only 7 were able to get out of there alive. Both locals and tourists claimed that they could see and feel hauntings in this place regularly. In order ease any lingering spirits, cleansing rituals are performed in this location twice a year.
3. Old Changi Hospital, Singapore
When talking about horror spots, an old hospital must be one of the best locations you could think of. If you’re looking for a haunted hospital, there’s a famous one in Singapore called the Old Changi Hospital The building complex was originally built as army barracks but then repurposed by the Japanese soldiers as a place to detain anyone that they considered as enemies.
After the Japanese left, in the 50’s, the building complex was converted into a hospital but then deserted after they moved it into a new location. Since then, this place has drawn so many ghost hunters since there are many reports from eye witnesses about floating spectral forms which are believed to be the spirits of the deceased patients and POWs.
4. Baguio City, Philippines
If a building is not enough for you, you can go to the Philippines to investigate and explore an entire town full of spooky spots called the Baguio City. While this city is beautiful with waterfalls, cold weather, and pine trees, which makes it popular for domestic tourist escaping from the lowlands heat, it’s also famous for ghost hunters and daredevils.
There are two main events responsible for the spooky image of Baguio City. First, the city was bombed during WWII by the American Allies, and in the year of 1990, a huge earthquake devastated Baguio City and claimed the lives of around 1600 people. There are numerous scary sites here you can visit, such as the Baguio Cathedral which is believed to be haunted by the civilians and nuns who perished in the building.
Laperal White House is another famous paranormal spot in Baguio City. In this place, it’s believed that the residents were massacred by soldiers. People claim that they could hear footsteps in the house as well as loud moaning. Even scarier than those, there’s also a claim that a ghost of a young girl could be seen near the front door of the house.
