This thesis aims to study the story and structure of the legends of sixty ‘Tai Sui Ye’ from 120 stories published in Thai; and to analyze components and process of the ‘Pi Chong’ ritual, using fieldwork data collected between 2013 - 2015 from 5 Chinese religious places in central Thailand namely Na Ja Sa Tai Jue shrine in Chon Buri province, Mangkorn Buppharam temple in Chantha Buri province, Metta Tham Phothiyan temple in Kanchana Buri Province, Sutham Temple in Bangkok, and Jao Pho Sue shrine in Nakhon Pathom province. It also aims to analyze relation between the legend and the ritual. The analysis of the legend shows that they can be categorized into 4 tale-types: 1) the man who eliminates suffering and brings peace to the people, 2) the man who protects the country 3) the man who is full of virtue, and 4) the man who excels in special arts. These tale-types altogether reveal significant traits of a man who is revered as a sacred hero in Chinese culture. The study of the ‘Pi Chong’ ritual finds that symbols in the ritual relate with the legend and the belief of ‘Pi Chong’ mending. The icons of sixty ‘Tai Sui Ye’ are symbolic objects that express the unique characteristics of each ‘Tai Sui Ye’, the events from their legend, and the Chinese zodiacs. The sacrificial offerings and paper offerings reflect the reverence for ‘Tai Sui Ye’ as gods who protect human destiny, validating by the legend expressing their sacred-hero status. In case of symbolic behaviors in the ‘Pi Chong’ ritual, they reflect the belief in power of sixty ‘Tai Sui Ye’ that can prevents harms, which are comparably parallel to the gods’ heroic deeds of suppressing calamities in their legend. Moreover, the study shows that the ‘Pi Chong’ ritual in Chinese religious places in contemporary Thai society has combined Chinese astrology with the ‘Suat Nopphakhro’ belief and the beliefs concerning donation in Thai culture through several bad-fortune mending rites such as reciting ‘Pak Tao’ mantra, lighting birthday candles, saving cattle’s life, or donating coffin. These blending beliefs reveal Thai way of thought about ‘mending bad fortune-enhancing good luck’ and ‘making merit-donation’. In conclude, this thesis is a research of belief, legend, and ritual which are Chinese folklore that are ‘trending’ as social phenomenon. It helps to understand content and structure, and provide a new way for further study of rituals in contemporary Thai society
