Air Passengers in Thailand book seats for their dolls

It reads like something out of a fictional story but it is in fact true.

A new trend sweeping across Thailand has seen an increasing number of people boarding flights with their Luk Thep - supernatural "child angel" doll.

According to CNN, the hugely popular trend was made so by celebrities who started posting on social media about the impact the dolls have had on their lives.

Now it's caught on so much that regional carrier Thai Smile Airways, a subsidiary of Thailand's flag carrier Thai Airways, recently instructed its staff to allow passengers to purchase a seat for their Luk Thep dolls!

Luk Thep are believed to possess a child's spirit and bring good fortune, leading many Thais to treat them like children.

According to the internal Thai Smile memo, being circulated among Thai media, the dolls have to be buckled up like human passengers and will be served snacks and drinks.

They will also be barred from sitting at the exit rows, just like with children.

Though many of the Luk Thep are imported, they reportedly go through a ritual in Thailand that involves implanting them with a child's soul.

The cost of these dolls - a whooping  3,500 baht (about N19,000) but can go up to as high as 13,000 baht (about N72,000) for the limited edition dolls imported from the United States.

So, would you buy a doll for luck?