You’ve been to Bangkok a few times. You don’t want to go see the Palace Museum again. You’re sick of JJ market. What to do?
Head out to the Swissotel Nai Lert Park Hotel. Go there for a fabulous Sunday brunch spread with live music and free flow mojitos. After a sumptuous meal, walk around the beautifully landscaped gardens. Then venture out to a hidden corner within the grounds, somewhere between the service area and the parking lot. There you will find a shrine dedicated to Chao Mae Tuptim, a spirit residing in the ten foot tall Ficus tree behind the spirit house.
Chao Mae Tuptim is said to be a female fertility spirit, which explains the preponderance of phalluses around the shrine. This spirit house is not for shy prudes. There are hundreds of phalluses in all different shapes, sizes and colors. Some are meant to look realistic and some are stylized. Some have feet and others have (cannon) balls.
Women from all over Bangkok visit the shrine when they are trying to conceive. If they get pregnant, they return to the shrine and add a phallus to the phalanx in thanks. Many also come to offer Jasmine flowers, incense sticks and pink and white lotus buds. Apparently, she has a pretty good success rate!
So if you’re looking for something to do on a lazy Sunday before catching your flight out, think about making this part of your itinerary.
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