Four-faced Brahma
Gilded in the city centre.
กสิณธร ราชโอรส — CC BY-SA 4.0 · กสิณธร ราชโอรส — CC BY-SA 4.0 · กสิณธร ราชโอรส — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Supanut Arunoprayote — CC BY-SA 4.0 · กสิณธร ราชโอรส — CC BY-SA 4.0
A small, always crowded shrine at the Ratchaprasong junction in the heart of Bangkok's shopping district, holding a gilded statue of the four-faced Hindu god Brahma, called Phra Phrom by Thais. It was set up in 1956 during construction of the old Erawan Hotel, after a series of accidents delayed the work; the builders were advised to raise a shrine to Brahma to ward off bad luck, and, the story goes, the accidents stopped. Since then it has become one of the city's best-known places of prayer, visited day and night by Thais and visitors from China and South-East Asia who offer yellow flowers, incense and small wooden elephants. One of its curious sights is dancers in traditional costume performing short dances, hired by worshippers in thanks for a prayer answered. Entry is free and it is open from early morning until night. It is a small, busy place of worship, so behave respectfully, do not stand in front of worshippers, and mind your wallet in the crowd. It is a curious sight for anyone passing by and needs no more than a quarter of an hour. It sits beneath BTS Chit Lom station, between CentralWorld and Gaysorn, a short stop on a shopping day.
Gilded in the city centre.
Hired by worshippers.
A shrine against bad luck.
Ratchaprasong junction, in front of the Grand Hyatt Erawan, Bangkok
CentralWorldOne of the largest shopping centres in South-East Asia, at the Ratchaprasong int4 minutes walk
Wat Pathum WanaramA quiet royal temple squeezed between Bangkok's biggest malls, Siam Paragon and 5 minutes walk
SEA LIFE Bangkok Ocean WorldOne of the largest aquariums in South-East Asia, opened in 2005 on the two basem7 minutes walk
Pratunam Market and Platinum MallThailand's biggest wholesale clothing hub, around the Pratunam junction in centr8 minutes walk
Siam ParagonBangkok's best-known luxury mall, opened in 2005 in the heart of Siam, drawing A8 minutes walkIt is a Hindu shrine to Brahma, but Buddhist Thais pray here as they do at temples.