In the coastal province of Prachuap Khiri Khan lies one of Thailand’s most unusual and fascinating spiritual sites, the Chao Mae Nom Sao Shrine. This small yet sacred shrine has drawn both locals and visitors for more than a century, not only for its legend but also for its curious custom: offering bras as tributes when wishes come true.

A hermit in tiger-print robes, animal sacrifice by hill-tribes and rounds of Buddhist prayer: the physical efforts to reach a teenage football team trapped in a flooded Thai cave are being matched by a surge of Thai spirituality.