The scent of burning joss sticks curls around my
nostrils, leading me down Ploenchit Road in Bangkok towards Saan Phra Phrom,
most commonly known as the Erawan Shrine. A young woman on my left sits on a
tiny stool threading delicate blossoms onto a string, while several women on
the busy roadside sell bundles and garlands of perfumed flowers amid the
belching buses and tuk-tuks, honking cars and screeching motorbikes.
A
man and a woman manage to push through the crowd to kneel down in front of
Brahma, flowers and incense pressed between their palms, eyes closed.
My eyes greet the whites, oranges, deep purples and reds
with delight as a middle-aged woman with crinkled dark eyes and a wide
toothy smile gestures towards the flowers for sale, gently persuading me to
buy her beautiful wreaths. I pick one up and inhale its delicate bouquet
just as a bus pauses by the woman’s stall and with a rattle and a roar
spews black stinking exhaust into the air around us. I cover my nose and
mouth with my free hand, visibly cringing at the thought of what the toxic
particles are doing to my lungs, while she coughs and laughs. “Sip baht.”
I hand her the coin and with wreath in hand continue down the busy street.
The
dancers move elegantly, gracefully, as they sway and twist their hands to
the music, their fingers arched backwards towards their wrists.
A brief lull in traffic allows my senses to restore their
equanimity temporarily, and again the scent of incense wafts around me,
guiding me down to the southeast corner of Ratchaprasong Junction. The
crowds of people are thicker here, the air sweet and smoky, and edging past
several worshippers holding bunches of the fragrant flowers and incense, I
turn into the shrine and gaze into the eyes of the four-faced effigy of
Brahma, the Hindu god of creation.
Brahma
is one of three gods responsible for human welfare in the Hindu religion,
the other two being Vishnu and Shiva.
Brahma is one of three gods responsible for human welfare
in the Hindu religion, the other two being Vishnu and Shiva. Brahma is
cool-tempered and possesses the highest moral principles. He is also kind,
merciful, sympathetic and impartial; it’s these four precepts that
comprise the “Conscientious Behaviour” corresponding to Buddhist
teaching.
After
many murmured words, they lay the garlands on the table then stand up to
leave, quickly replaced by new worshippers.
The Erawan Shrine to Brahma was originally built in 1956
during the construction of the Erawan Hotel, which was later razed to build
the current Grand Hyatt Erawan, beside which the shrine stands. Some say the
shrine was created after hotel management consulted an astrologer for an
auspicious date for its grand opening. When the astrologer revealed that the
date the foundation stone had been laid was not suitable, he advised that a
Brahman shrine should be built to correct the error. However, another story
is that the shrine was built after several serious mishaps delayed the
hotel’s construction.
The
Erawan Shrine is a popular place for both Thais and foreigners to pay their
respects.
Whatever reason why the Erawan Shrine was built, it is a
popular place for both Thais and foreigners to pay their respects. Often, if
a wish has been granted people will thank Brahma by donating teak elephants
or commissioning the classical Thai dancers and traditional musicians to
perform.
The sound of the traditional music draws me further into
the throng of people, and I try to move politely, not stepping on people’s
toes as they move as close as possible to the Brahma statue to pray. The
golden effigy, with its four faces and many arms, sits in the centre of the
shrine, surrounded by a metal fence that is covered with hundreds of
garlands of colourful flowers.
In front of the statue is a table holding offerings of
fruit, coconuts and flowers, while on the ground next to it is a stone tray
ringed with yellow candles and filled with sand and joss sticks. Some of the
incense is still burning, trails of sweet smoke swirling like souls in the
air before disappearing, while others are just cold shells, the red and pink
sticks thrusting lifeless out of the sand.
A man and a woman manage to push through the crowd to
kneel down in front of Brahma, flowers and incense pressed between their
palms, eyes closed. They light the joss sticks from the yellow candles’
strong steady flames and place the incense in the sand, the thin white smoke
coiling up to the heavens. After many murmured words, they lay the garlands
on the table then stand up to leave, quickly replaced by new worshippers.
Amidst the throng of people I walk around to the back of
the shrine where the musicians and dancers are performing. I hardly notice
the musicians playing the traditional instruments as they sit in the shadows
of the covered area, allowing the beautiful dancers, dressed in colourful
costumes to take the spotlight. The dancers move elegantly, gracefully, as
they sway and twist their hands to the music, their fingers arched backwards
towards their wrists.
After several minutes I return to the shrine and edge
towards the Brahma statue, the sweet incense smoke creating a haze around
it. I gently place my garland of yellow and white flowers on the pile of
other wreaths, each one a problem wanting to be solved, a wish hoping to be
granted. I close my eyes and dream of my own wish; then with a nodding thank
you to Brahma I leave the shrine and head out into the busy Bangkok street.
Within
a short span of 30 years, the city of Pattaya on the East Coast of Thailand
has evolved from a small fishing village into a vibrant tourist destination
attracting upwards of 3 million visitors annually. As a direct result of the
influx of foreign visitors and the lack of development of the city to cater
for these visitors, Pattaya experienced a decline in environmental standards
which reached its lowest point in the mid-1990s.
Witnessing
the decline in the natural habitat of Pattaya and acknowledging its
detrimental effects on sustainable tourism, the City of Pattaya with the
support of the local community embarked on a rehabilitation campaign aimed
at restoring the natural environment and consequently promoting sustainable
ecotourism.
In
addition, treated wastewater has helped alleviate water supply needs of
the growing city by providing an alternate source of non-potable water.
For example, treated water is now used in public parks and gardens which
have also arisen through the efforts of the rehabilitation campaign.
Water
supply for human consumption has also been supplemented with the creation
of four new reservoirs for the collection, treatment and distribution of
rainwater. With better treatment and filtration systems in place, the
quality of water supplied throughout Pattaya has improved significantly.
Another
new addition has been the erection of a large-scale boat pier at a
distance from the public beaches of Pattaya. Once the pier begins
operations in coming months, boat traffic will be diverted from the public
beaches thereby creating an even more hospitable environment for swimmers
and watersport activities.
At
the cornerstone of the Pattaya Rehabilitation Project has been the
introduction of a Baht 1.8 billion (US$ 41 million) sewage and wastewater
treatment plant. Through the operations of the treatment plant the
seawater surrounding Pattaya which was once considered unsafe for human
enjoyment due to unusually high levels of harmful coliform bacteria, is
now well within acceptable limits and has once again been declared fit for
bathing.
Devised
by government authorities and community leaders, the Rehabilitation
Project has clearly trickled down to the grass-roots level of the local
community. Today, Pattaya residents have a greater sense of awareness as
to the relationship between the environment and their livelihood - namely
tourism. With such awareness, a common bond has been created within the
community. Local schools are now teaching children the benefits of
environmental conservation as a key to the future economic and social
well-being of those residing in Pattaya as well. Another socio-economic
benefit of the Rehabilitation Project has its role in job creation, both
directly for those working for newly-built facilities such as the
wastewater treatment plant and indirectly as the required workforce grows
proportionately with the growth of the city.
To
further promote Pattaya as an ecotourism-friendly destination, the City
has also overseen the sinking of decomissioned ships off its coast which
will over the next few years result in the growth of underwater coral
formations. This will further enhance Pattaya’s reputation as a prime
dive destination in Thailand and the region.
The
Rehabilitation Project of Pattaya is now being seen as a role model for
sustainable tourism in other popular resort destinations around Thailand.
Using Pattaya as a case in point, community leaders and businesses in
these places can now clearly recognize the detrimental effect of
environmental degradation on
their livelihoods and avoid making the same mistakes themselves in future.
Perhaps, the most important lesson learned is that a beautiful natural
environment will attract visitors initially, but only proper
maintenance and conservation of the same environment will continue to
attract visitors in future. After all, what good is a beach resort when
one cannot swim in the sea or enjoy its natural beauty?
“I
am very proud for the citizens of Pattaya because as Mayor for the last 7
years I have been able to oversee real improvements to the quality of our
environment. When I first became Mayor I invited the people of Pattaya to
help solve the environmental problems. This has been a good policy to
manage regulations and overcome the problems. We can see that Pattaya has
gained a lot from the improvements made over the past years particularly
with cleaner waterways and land areas. Now that we have fixed the problems
we can see that the ocean is clean and we have a good system of water
treatment. We also have a good system for managing garbage and landfill
schemes.”
“We
built our first water treatment facility in Pattaya in 1986 and the second
one in 1991. At that time we could process 33,000 cubic liters of
wastewater per day.
(L
to R) MD Pairat Kunamornlert, Mayor Pairat Suthithamrongsawat, and
vice-president of operations for General Motors Thailand, Thomas Bell cut
the ribbon at the opening ceremony.
Entertainment
was provided by famous singer “Joy” (Sirilak Pongchoke).
During
the festivities, the new Chevrolet Optra was launched.
Supadit
Maneeratjaratsri, Royal Garden Plaza’s chief executive director, welcomes
everyone to the fun.
(Right)
Tahitian dancers were one of the many highlights of the show.
(Left)
How high can you stack coke cans? Participants take part in the activities
and games organized on stage for the Royal Garden Plaza Family Rally
“Hawaiian Night Party”.