Bangkok (Lonely Planet) - Andrew Burke [75]
The Legendary American: The Remarkable Career & Strange Disappearance of Jim Thompson, written by his long-time friend William Warren, is an excellent account of Thompson’s life.
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The best way to visit Baan Krua is to wander, stopping regularly to eat the delicious Thai Muslim cuisine on offer; see the walking tour, Click here, to get started.
SIAM OCEAN WORLD
Map
0 2687 2000; www.siamoceanworld.com; basement, Siam Paragon, Th Phra Ram I; adult/child (80-120cm) 850/650B; 10am-8pm (last entry 9pm); Siam exit 5
Southeast Asia’s largest oceanarium is also one of its most impressive. More than 400 species of fish, crustaceans and even penguins populate this vast underground facility. The oceanarium is divided into 12 zones accommodating specific species. The main tank is the highlight, with an acrylic tunnel allowing you to walk beneath sharks, rays and all manner of fish. Diving with sharks is also an option if you have your diving licence (for a fee), though you’ll have almost as much fun timing your trip to coincide with the shark and penguin feedings; the former are usually at 1pm and 4pm, the latter at 12.30pm and 4.30pm – check the website for details.
LINGAM SHRINE (SAAN JAO MAE THAP THIM)
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Nai Lert Park Hotel, Th Withayu; klorng boat to Tha Withayu; Ploen Chit exit 1
Every village-neighbourhood has a local shrine, either a sacred banyan tree tied up with coloured scarves or a spirit house. But it isn’t every day you see a phallus garden like this lingam shrine, tucked back behind the staff quarters of the Nai Lert Park Hotel. Clusters of carved stone and wooden shafts surround a spirit house and shrine built by millionaire businessman Nai Loet to honour Jao Mae Thap Thim, a female deity thought to reside in the old banyan tree on the site. Someone who made an offering shortly after the shrine was built had a baby, and the shrine has received a steady stream of worshippers – mostly young women seeking fertility – ever since.
If facing the entrance of the hotel, follow the small concrete pathway to the right, which winds down into the building beside the car park. The shrine is at the end of the building next to the klorng.
RATCHAPRASONG INTERSECTION SHRINES
Map
cnr Th Ratchadamri & Th Ploenchit; Chit Lom
A crowd in this part of town usually means a bargain market is nearby. But here the continuous activity revolves around six Hindu shrines credited with making this commercial corridor a success. It’s a fascinating place to come and just watch the way modern Thais have pragmatically adapted their beliefs – and their hopes – to the perceived reality that success breeds success, especially with the deities on your side.
The primary focus is the Erawan Shrine (San Phra Phrom; 6am-8pm), on the corner beside the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel. Brahma, the four-headed Hindu god of creation, holds court here. Brahma would normally command great respect in Thai Buddhism but not nearly enough to warrant this sort of idolatry. The human traffic jam can be directly attributed to the perceived powers of the shrine since it was established in 1956.
Originally a simple Thai spirit house occupied this spot during the construction of the first Erawan Hotel. This more elaborate shrine was built as a last-ditch effort to end a string of misfortunes – ranging from injured construction workers to the sinking of a ship carrying marble for the hotel – that had delayed the completion of the hotel. A Brahmin priest decided the site was burdened by bad karma because the foundation stone was laid on an inauspicious date. Since the hotel was