• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

By Root 4393 0

and 8pm, and should offer a specific list of items that includes candles, incense, sugar cane or bananas, all of which are almost exclusively given in multiples of seven. Particularly popular are teak elephants, the money gained through the purchase of which is donated to a charity run by the current hotel, the Grand Hyatt Erawan. And as the tourist brochures depict, it is also possible to charter a classical Thai dance, often done as a way of giving thanks if a wish was granted.

After 40 years of largely benign existence, the Erawan shrine became a point of focus when just after midnight on 21 March 2006, 27-year-old Thanakorn Pakdeepol destroyed the gilded plaster image of Brahma with a hammer. Pakdeepol, who had a history of mental illness and depression, was almost immediately attacked and beaten to death by two Thai rubbish collectors in the vicinity.

Although the government ordered a swift restoration of the statue, the incident became a galvanising omen for the anti-Thaksin movement, which was in full swing at the time. At a political rally the following day, protest leader Sondhi Limthongkul suggested that the prime minister had masterminded the Brahma image’s destruction in order to replace the deity with a ‘dark force’ allied to Thaksin. Rumours spreading through the capital claimed that Thaksin had hired Cambodian shamans to put spells on Pakdeepol so that he would perform the unspeakable deed. In response, Pakdeepol’s father was quoted as saying that Sondhi was ‘the biggest liar I have ever seen’. Thaksin, when asked to comment on Sondhi’s accusations, simply replied: ‘That’s insane’. A new statue, built using bits of the previous one, was installed a month later, and at press time Thaksin is in exile and has yet to return to Thailand.

* * *

Sukhumvit

More time will be spent here eating, drinking and perhaps sleeping (as there is a high concentration of hotels here) rather than sightseeing. The Skytrain is the primary public-transport option.

BAN KAMTHIENG

An engaging house museum (Map; 0 2661 6470; Siam Society, 131 Soi Asoke/21, Th Sukhumvit; adult/child 100/50B; 9am-5pm Mon-Sat; Skytrain Asoke, Metro Sukhumvit), Ban Kamthieng transports visitors to a northern Thai village complete with informative displays of daily rituals, folk beliefs and everyday household chores, all within the setting of a traditional wooden house. This museum is operated by and shares space with the Siam Society, the publisher of the renowned Journal of the Siam Society and a valiant preserver of traditional Thai culture.

KHLONG TOEY MARKET

This wholesale market (Map; cnr Th Ratchadaphisek & Th Phra Ram IV; 5-10am; Metro Khlong Toei), one of the city’s largest, is inevitably the origin of many of the meals you’ll eat during your stay in Bangkok. Get there early, and although some corners of the market can’t exactly be described as photogenic, be sure to bring a camera to capture the stacks of durians or cheery fishmongers.

THAILAND CREATIVE & DESIGN CENTER

Modern design is all the rage in Bangkok and this new museum (TCDC; Map; 0 2664 8448; www.tcdc.or.th; 6th fl, Emporium Shopping Centre, Th Sukhumvit; admission free; 10.30am-10pm Tue-Sun; Skytrain Phrom Phong) hosts rotating exhibits, houses a cool shop and cafe, and for members has a design library stocked with books, computers and other resources.

Lumphini Park & Th Phra Ram IV

The main attraction in this hyper-urban part of town is the city’s single largest green zone. The Metro, with stops at Lumphini, Silom and Th Phra Ram IV, is the best way to reach this area.

LUMPHINI PARK

Named after the Buddha’s place of birth in Nepal, Lumphini Park (Map; Th Phra Ram IV, btwn Th Withayu/Wireless Rd & Th Ratchadamri; admission free; 5am-8pm; bus 13, 505, Skytrain Sala Daeng, Metro Lumphini) is the best way to escape Bangkok without leaving town. Shady paths, a large artificial lake and swept lawns temporarily blot out the roaring traffic and hulking concrete towers.

One of the best times to visit the park is before 7am when the air is fresh (well, relatively