We’ve come face-to-face with the Demogorgon, and disfigured Japanese spirits, and have escaped Pontianaks and Chinese demons. But this year at Universal Studios Singapore's Halloween Horror Nights (HHN), we're preparing ourselves mentally to survive a vengeful Thai spirit. USS is upping the ante for Halloween Horror Nights with a haunted house specially created by the renowned Thai filmmakers behind cinematic scare-fests like Shutter and 4bia. This is USS’ first-ever regional collaboration in the nine-year history of HHN.

In fact, the Curse of the Naga, the haunted house that Thai directors Parkpoom Wongpoom and Gunn Purijitpanya will be responsible for, is the first haunted house that the HHN team began working on, all the way back in December.

“The directors wanted to portray Thailand’s culture and horror narratives to Southeast Asia and the world, and drew inspiration from the Naga, a mythological serpentine spirit known not only in Thailand but in other parts of Asia,” according to a Resorts World Sentosa spokesperson. “The Thai directors and USS’s creative team spared no effort in sharing their ideas and expertise, not just in terms of storytelling, but in terms of scenic execution, production value and scare tactics.”

Curse of the Naga will transport visitors from bustling Bangkok to a lost village in the jungle, cursed by the spell of a snake spirit called Naga, a fusion of a Thai traditional dancer and a mysterious serpentine spirit.The storyline puts visitors in the shoes of tourists who suffer the wrath of Naga after drinking snake blood.

To further delve into Curse of the Naga, folks can opt for a daytime behind-the-scenes guided tour of the haunted house, available at a top-up fee of $10 in addition to regular daytime admission to USS.

Said the RWS spokesperson: “This is the first time we’re allowing access into a haunted house specifically for daytime guests to experience a lights-on tour of this year’s highly anticipated haunted house. Guests will discover how Universal Studios Singapore’s creative team conceptualises the house, and be introduced to unique set designs, special effects etc – all in the presence of a knowledgeable guide.”

The folks at RWS tell us that “Asian-inspired scares which are closer to [our] hearts” have been popular since the first HHN at USS. And what better way to do that than in a haunted house inspired by the rite of passage for every teenage Singaporean? Yup, we’re talking about the chalet. Remember those overnight class gatherings in chalets where you would scare yourselves silly either by telling ghost stories or trekking to abandoned hospitals to seek them out yourself? Relive those days with The Chalet Hauntings, a haunted house that features, not one, but a bunch of Southeast Asian ghosts, who may or may not be behind the mysterious disappearance of five teens from their chalet.

Halloween Horror Nights 9 will feature five haunted houses, two scare zones and two live shows in total. Joining Naga and chalet spirits in this edition are clowns, dolls and tortured prisoners in a dingy, cramped prison. Basically, everything that’s a nightmare come true for a horror fan.

Halloween Horror Nights 9 is on for select nights from Sep 27 to Oct 31 at Resorts World Sentosa. Tix are $70 for peak nights and $60 for non-peak nights. Early bird tickets are priced at $65 (peak) and $55 (non-peak), and is available until Sep 1. More info at https://www.halloweenhorrornights.com.sg/.

Photos: Resorts World Sentosa