Phra Pom statue at Hyatt Erewan, Bangkok destroyed

[Jaime]

I remember my wife making offerings to Phra Pom and booking a temple dance before and after she got her UK visa and this is a sad story all round from The Nation:

Security will be upped at revered sites throughout Bangkok after a deranged man destroyed the Great Brahma statue at the Erawan Shrine with a hammer in the early hours of Tuesday morning.


Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayothin said on Tuesday he had assigned Bangkok's cultural department to survey revered sites and shrines.


"We will reinforce our security and provide security for [all revered sites] to prevent attacks on them," Apirak said.


Thanakorn Pakdithanapon, 27, who was believed to have had mental problems and been a regular patient at public hospitals, attacked the respected Great Brahma stat¬ue with a hammer.


Immediately after the incident two city cleaners beat Thanakorn to death.


Apirak announced the new security measures after visiting the Erawan Shrine. He said the city's Fine Arts Department would renovate the statue and work should be completed within two months.


"Until that time, people will be able to come to the shrine to worship. It will still be open to the public," the governor said.


Meanwhile, Surakiat Limcharoen, Patumwan district director, said he had paid bail for the two city cleaners accused of murdering Thanakorn and they were back at work today.


"We will seek ways to help them out, because what they did was aimed at protecting the Great Brahma statue. They did not intend to kill the man," said Surakiat.


The Nation

[PeteC]

"We will reinforce our security and provide security for [all revered sites] to prevent attacks on them," Apirak said.

Much coverage in print and on all media today. The above gives me a big smile though.....will it ever change? Reaction rather than prevention. Every crisis this country has, you get the same quotes from the big guys. The last similar event was the deranged woman who walked into Assumption Academy (?) and slashed children. I bet if you walk by there today, the massive security you saw for a week or so after it happened is gone. Mai pen rai. Pete