170409 Friday – Bangkok

Cambodia seems to delay one more night again as the guest house I would like to stay in Siem Reap is fully booked thus I brought Becky to Grand Hyatt, Erawan Shrine to visit the four face Buddha which contrary to popular belief is not a Buddha at all but Phra Phrom, the Thai representation of the Hindu creation god Brahma. Becky wants to make some offering as she has heard from me that the story of how people have their wishes granted by returning and donate large amount of money for the Thai dancers to dance non-stop

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 to put criminals on public display.

An astrologer advised building the shrine to counter the negative influences. The Brahma statue was designed and built by the Department of Fine Arts and enshrined on 9 November 1956. 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.