After essentially covering two days of activities in one, I decided to take a break today. Feeling a bit sight-see’d out, and the mass of humanity/tourists is really pretty exhausting. This may sound judgmental or generalizing, but many of the Asian people, usually in tour groups (from China, Japan, Korea I think), use their arms and elbows to create and hold their space in a crowd. Which means that if you don’t do the same you are crushed between people and pushed to the back. It’s worse than the NYC subway for certain. So I opted for a day where I sat by the pool, where is was cloudy but warm, and had a Thai massage and followed up on some emails and sorting out some plans. I will head out in a bit to dinner.
Last night I walked by a shrine that was basically in the courtyard of a vertical shopping mall, with tons of people praying and making offerings and buying flower garlands from the vendors parked along side the road. So I looked it up. Its the Erawan Shrine, formally the Thao Maha Phrom Shrine that houses a statue of Phra Phrom, the Thai representation of the Hindu god of creation Lord Brahma. A popular worship attraction, it often features performances by resident Thai dance troupes, who are hired by worshippers in return for seeing their prayers at the shrine answered.
The Erawan Shrine was built in 1956 as part of the government-owned Erawan Hotel to eliminate the bad karma believed caused by laying the foundations on the wrong date. The hotel’s construction was delayed by a series of mishaps, including cost overruns, injuries to laborers, and the loss of a shipload of Italian marble intended for the building. Furthermore, the Ratchaprasong intersection had once been used to put criminals on public display.
An astrologer advised building the shrine to counter the negative influences, so the Brahma statue was designed and built by the Department of Fine Arts and enshrined on the spot. The hotel’s construction thereafter proceeded without further incident. In 1987, the hotel was demolished and the site used for the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel.
In the ensuing years there have been two incidents which damaged the shrine — a deranged man mutilated it in 2005 and two bystanders beat the man to death. A new statue was created, and then a bomb was detonated at the site in 2015 killing 20 and injuring 125. So maybe the astrologer should’ve suggested a bigger shrine. Or more of them. To other gods too.
Nightlife in Bangkok is as intense as the other major cities I’ve visited, but way more upscale. The vertical malls are all over the city, many at the same intersections. Looking for nail polish remover and a bite to eat I headed into the first one I happened upon and discovered instead Louis Vuitton, Leica, MaxMara and a very expensive looking spa. So, across the street (via an overhead bridge) to another mall — 7 stories high — with the food spots on 6 and 7 — dozens of restaurants! Kate Spade, Crabtree & Evelyn, Coach and many more of the ilk populated this mall. Also no CVS. But there was a Din Tao Fung, with a line twice as long as the one in Glendale. Found some food and marveled at the consumer mecca. Just astounding how much activity and how many people are out at all hours. For me, an early bed and an early flight tomorrow to Chiang Mai.
I would be so intimidated by the scale of the malls. And I could NOT handle the crowds/personal space deal. You continue to be my hero. “One Night in Bangkok…”