"Today, we shall continue where we left off yesterday," my travel companions declared after breakfast in Bangkok. What they meant was that on this fourth day of our visit, having already completed our main objective of finding a foundry to cast bronze Buddha statues for Nandaka Vihara, we finally had time on our hands to go shopping.
The night before, we had arrived at the Platinum Fashion Mall with barely an hour left before closing time at 10 pm. We didn’t even have time to browse, let alone shop, as all of us were famished after the long drive back from the foundry’s showroom in Ang Thong province. Food took priority. So, today was our real opportunity to explore the mall properly.
But first, we had another commitment: to accompany Bhante Dhammasubho to visit Ruean Jaisai Ban Soi Dao (เรือนใจใสบ้านสอยดาว), a relatively new and lesser-known meditation retreat located in Nakhon Ratchasima province, in northeastern Thailand. To get there meant a road journey of about 3¼ hours. We made two pitstops along the way and eventually arrived just after 11 o’clock.
At the
Buddha Pavilion (ศาลาโพธิโรจน์), we were greeted warmly by
Bhante Roj Bodhiyan (ด่พระรุจ โพธิญาณ), the Chief Abbot with the most pleasant disposition, who had been a schoolteacher before his ordination. We arrived in time for the
lunch dāna. While Bhante Dhammasubho was seated at the main table in the
Thammamon Pavilion (ศาลาธรรมวิมล), a structure newly built in 2023, together with Bhante Roj and three other monks, the rest of us joined the lay devotees’ section of the building along with Thusin and William.
After lunch, we rejoined the monks for chanting and light conversation.
Ruean Jaisai Ban Soi Dao is definitely off the radar for most international tourists, but the grounds are neatly maintained, the well-watered lawns lush and green despite the hot weather. A Bodhi tree grows sturdily near the pavilion, and in the distance, I could see rolling mountain ranges stretching a
cross the horizon. It was a beautiful, peaceful setting. My story continues after the pictures below.
With that visit concluded, we made our way southward again, back to the Platinum Fashion Mall in Bangkok. This time, we had more time to wander the shops after grabbing an early dinner outside the mall. Unfortunately, I must admit we fell into a typical tourist trap. The street food stalls looked lively and inviting, but the food was mediocre at best and absurdly overpriced. In hindsight, we should have known better, or at least asked someone first. The mall’s sixth-floor food court offered similar dishes, probably at a fraction of the price.
Our final stop that evening was at the
Thao Maha Brahma (ศาลท้าวมหาพรหมเอราวัณ), otherwise known as the
Erawan Shrine, on the way back to the hotel. This popular landmark, located at the busy intersection of Ratchadamri Road and Ploenchit Road in the heart of Bangkok’s shopping district, is dedicated to the
Four-Faced Buddha, an incarnation of the Hindu god
Brahma. The shrine draws countless devotees, both locals and tourists, seeking blessings, protection or the fulfilment of personal wishes.
If their prayers are answered, it’s customary for devotees to return and make an offering, often in the form of flowers, incense or even commissioning traditional
Thai dancers to perform in gratitude. We watched such a performance that night—graceful and rhythmic, accompanied by the steady beat of Thai percussion in the background.
The shrine itself has an interesting and turbulent history. It was originally built in 1956 after a string of misfortunes plagued the construction of the nearby Erawan Hotel. A Brahmin priest advised that a shrine should be erected to counter the negative energy. Since then, the Erawan Shrine has become one of Bangkok’s most iconic spiritual landmarks. In August 2015, it was damaged in a deadly bombing that shocked the nation. But the shrine was quickly rebuilt and restored. Today, it continues to stand strong, a place of hope, devotion and resilience.
With this, I conclude my narrative on our visit to Bangkok. I won't be writing separately about our Day Five, since all we did were to check out of the hotel after breakfast and make our way to the Suvarnabhumi international airport. How eventful can that be?
#RueanJaisai #เรือนใจใสบ้านสอยดาว #ศาลท้าวมหาพรหมเอราวัณ #ErawanShrine
2 comments:
A vibrant write up and orderly arrange sequences of events with photographs. As I was there, great work
Sadhu Sadhu Sadhu
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