I had assumed the little road-side shrines I keep coming across were Ancestral Shrines. Seems I was on the wrong track completely. Today I came across a couple of shops selling figures that are placed inside the shrines. The shrines are part of an animist tradition that pre-dates Hinduism and Buddhism in Thailand. Each shrine is dedicated to a local 'spirit' that inhabits the area. As far as I could understand the little figures placed inside these shrines are 'servants' to the 'spirit', to keep it happy. If correct, some of the servants are very old ! 
In these shops you can also buy packages of 'offerings' to the spirits. 
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