Four-Faced Buddha (四面佛 Erawan Shrine aka Thao Maha Brahma) @ Bangkok [Thailand]

Mention a visit to Four-Faced Buddha and you would likely get questions from friends if you have been to Bangkok although the worship of this Hindu god exists in Singapore too! 

Such was the fame of Erawan Shrine which is touted as a must visit by some of my friends who believe praying at the shrine would bring to them good luck, fortune and protection.

Many are not aware of its history and the skeptical ones thought it is merely a temple built for tourism purpose (just like our merlion). The truth is more superstitious in nature and related to a government hotel that was built in the 50s. 

During the construction phase of Erawan Hotel (not the current Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel), there were numerous mishaps and an astrologer (a rear admiral in fact) attributed them to the miscalculated timing when laying the foundation block. 

A shrine honouring the four-faced Buddha was hence built upon his advice and strangely, the construction proceeded smoothly after that. 

A mere coincidence? Maybe but we cannot deny its popularity with devotees who thoroughly believe in the powers of this deity! Apparently, some Singaporeans would even travel back to Bangkok annually just to thank and pay homage to the god. 

The richer ones would even donate statues of wooden / gold plated elephants, national animal for Thailand, to the shrine! Not exactly a good move as the temple has very limited space compared to other prominent temples in the capital! 

Pious devotees might even tear while praying! Kidding as my friend happened to be wiping her cheek in the above picture. Haha. However, there are indeed instances when people display extreme affections when it comes to religion. 

Each face of the Buddha (technically, the god is not a Buddha as it falls under Hinduism) is said to represent a different thing; success, love, fortune and health. From what i can see, the worshippers seemed to go around in one circle to cover all four faces. Bet most humans can never be satisfied with just the fulfilment of one wish! 

Not sure if anyone remembers the news in 2006 when the statue was smashed by a man who was later found out to be mentally unsound. This new statue was installed two months after the event.

Garlands of flowers, incense sticks and candles were often placed as offerings and they are readily available in the long row of carts outside the shrine.

Most offerings are available within the shrine and you may refer to the price list as above. By the way, worshippers are required to abstain from meat for three days; a day before the praying, the actual day and a day after. 

You may even make merit by buying these poor birds caged in small enclosures and then release them! Awww, so nice of you right? Not really! Your actions would only fuel the demand and this would only make the operators more motivated to capture more birds for you! 

End your visit by washing your hands / face with the supposed holy water from the golden urn! I wouldn't be surprised if anyone drinks it using the silver cups. 

More photographs for your viewing pleasure; sorry, i had too much time as i was waiting for the rest to complete their praying. 

We happened to pass by at night and i could not resist taking a few more pictures! For those who wish to see the shrine in its full capacity (and maybe even beyond) consider visiting on the ninth of November each year!

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Location

Ratchaprasong intersection of Ratchadamri Road,

Pathum Wan District, Bangkok

[Near Chit Lom BTS]

Opening Hours

6am to 11pm

Mom's 60th Birthday 2014!

For those who still couldn't believe it, my mom has indeed reached the diamond landmark of 60 years old (oops, am i even allow to divulge her age?). 

In line with my family's low profile spirit (ya, right), we decided to keep the celebration simple and choose to have the birthday cake right at home after a fulfilling lobster porridge meal in Orchid Live Seafood.

Long time readers / followers should have realised by now that it was once again a delicious strawberry cake from Pâtisserie Glacé! The Japanese owner should consider opening a bakery cafe so that i can chill out while digging into a slice of their soft yet creamy cake! 

Let the singing began! Is there a Tamil language birthday song? The two kids would have perfected all four local languages for birthday songs if there's one! 

Jovyn had positioned herself correctly this time; this time round, she shall be the winner for the candle blowing session. Wait, shouldn't it be the birthday girl who has the greatest honour to do that!? 

Even the birthday cake had to be cut by three parties!!! hahaha. Oh well, as i mentioned before, it's because of the two hyperactive monsters that my family makes it a point to prepare a cake for every family member on their birthday. Before them, i don't even see the need to celebrate my birth!

No matter what, happy birthday my dearest mom! You are not likely to hear me say i love you but deep in my heart, you know i always do. 

Asiatique The Riverfront - A Modern Night Market @ Bangkok [Thailand]

I might have been to the Land of Smiles countless times but it has been a few years since i last visited and with that in mind, i thought of making full use of the three short days in Bangkok by visiting some new places; one of which was Asiatique The Riverfront!

Getting there by public transport wasn't a pain in the ass; take the BTS to Saphan Taksin station and follow the crowd by walking towards the river. Look out for the sign to Asiatique Shuttle Boat and be prepared for a long queue for this free shuttle service! 

Located south of Bangkok, you may choose to take a cab although i would prefer to beat the notorious traffic jams and save the money for my return journey back to the hotel instead.

After that unfortunate ferry incident in South Korea, i am wondering if we are facing the same issue with ferries in Bangkok. So many people were standing and it felt more like a packed bus travelling on water!

The boat docked safely at Asiatique in around twelve minutes! Phew! Pity i didn't manage to be seated or else i could have taken a better picture of the purpose built night market from a far-off angle. Hm... Maybe not.

A picture of the shuttle boat for your reference. 

Open from 5pm till midnight daily, Asiatique The Riverfront was one of the few replacements for Suan Lum Night Market which closed down a couple of years ago even though i thought it was way more modern with trendy boutiques, fanciful restaurants etc! 

To a certain extent, i felt it was more like Clark Quay, albeit a much bigger one! 

Banking on the location's historical heritage as a trading post, the buildings were refurbished to reflect the architecture from 1907-1947. A number of warehouses were also converted into retail and dining spaces; you may even find live Muay Thai and a cabaret show! 

I was more keen in the 60-meter high ferris wheel (known as Asiatique Sky) and the shopping as i didn't have sufficient time for anything else (we arrived at around 8pm)! 

Talking about shopping, it wasn't the same as in Platinum Shopping Mall (where there is a wholesale price if you buy more than three pieces) or Chatuchak Weekend Market.

Both aforementioned shopping destinations popular with Singaporeans would close by around 7pm and what are you going to do when the night is still young and you are beyond the clubbing age?! Actually, i don't mind having a few hours of massage at night.

However, shopping fanatics would still be able to pick up some good deals at Asiatique although it would be worth noting that rentals at this elaborate lifestyle hub would not likely be as cheap as other areas. 

My friend managed to get a fake yet supposedly good quality Rolex watch for only S$80 after slashing S$120 off the quoted price! Alex was looking upon him like a discount god after this incident. 

I am totally not into paying for fake branded products; for me, i have gone past the phase of hard bargaining and prefer to relax in the comfortable environment. If only i have time to bum out in a nice cafe. 

Decided to check out Asiatique Sky while the rest were busy choosing another Rolex watch. Shining like a beacon of fun in the dark sky, i contemplated on forking out the 250 baht ticket for a short ride up! 

It started pouring!!! :(

I took refuge in the retail shops right opposite the landmark wheel and chanced upon quite a few unique shops; one sold his wares under the "Mr Moustache" label and another (above) offers products with cat images for sale. 

Befitting its past image as trading post, there were sculptures related to the trading industry like this gigantic cog in the middle of the walkway. 

With the rain continuing to be a hindrance, we opted to call it a day. I would have loved to stay longer for more photo taking but i was really exhausted!! So, let make another trip to Asiatique a possibility! 

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Location

2194 Charoenkrung Rd, 

WatPrayakai, Bangkoleam, 

Bangkok, Thailand

Website 

http://www.thaiasiatique.com/

Map

As above. 

Additional Information

I had my dinner at Kamlangsib Fried Chicken Rice. 

Click here for my review!