Look out for the shrines.... and other Bangkok, Thailand Local Custom Tips

It's often a custom in Bangkok to build an accompanying shrine to a large new building or development, to promote good fortune and ward off bad luck. The Erawan Shrine is one of the best known (and probably the only one with a resident dance troupe!) but in fact they are all over Bangkok; some are more noticable than others, though. It's worth noting that they are not generally Thai "Spirit Houses", which are animist in origin, but are usually dedicated to Brahma instead. I found this webpage which explains a bit about it:

www.thaiworldview.com/bouddha/brahma.htm

If they are particularly prominent you will often find people turning up to pay their respects. It's worth keeping an eye out for them! Here's a picture of one the shrines outside the World Trade Center - there's another one at the other end of the complex, too...

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Much more common than shrines, but generally much more modest, are Thai Spirit Houses. These are normally seen on the corner of Thai residential properties, and sometimes outside commercial properties too. Thai people generally believe (to some degree at least) that spirits reside on the land, and if you build a house, you have to build a small home for the spirits too. Offerings will often be made at these to keep the spirits happy.

A couple of great, but unusual examples of Spirit Houses can be found on the street corner outside the MBK mall in central Bangkok - there are two together there. If you're visiting the mall, it's worth braving the heat for a few minutes to take a look at them!

You can read more about Spirit Houses on this webpage.

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