Thai netizens condemned distributors selling spiritual choices to overseas tourists at extortionate prices exterior the well-known Erawan Shrine in Bangkok after a video went viral on social media of a vendor charging Chinese tourists over 10,000 baht for an offering set.
Erawan Shrine is considered one of the most popular non secular websites within the capital metropolis. Formally generally recognized as the Thao Maha Phrom Shrine, the shrine homes a statue of Phra Phrom, the Thai representation of Brahma, the Hindu god of creation. The identify may also check with Mahabrahma, the ruler of the Brahma realm in Asian mythology. It is situated in Bangkok city centre at Ratchaprasong Intersection, near the CentralWorld shopping mall.
Tourists, particularly Chinese, visit the shrine to pray and make needs, then return to make offerings after their needs are fulfilled.
Offerings for Brahma, together with flowers, elephant statues, meals, and performances by Thai dancers, could be bought each inside and out of doors the shrine.
Locals know the excessive price of offerings outside the shrine and like to convey choices from residence. Snap showing the high price of offerings on the shrine was circulated on social media however deleted to guard Thai tourism’s image. The video confirmed a set of choices sold to Chinese tourists for over 10,000 baht.
Channel 3 went to interview the vendor who was featured within the video. The seller said…
“I’m nervous after seeing the video on social media. I remembered that a group of seven to eight Chinese prospects. They got here with a Thai tour information. They came to offer sacrifices and bought many types of offerings. They bought so much, so the worth reached 10,000 baht.”
The vendor claimed to have units for sale starting from 100 to 1,200 baht every and acknowledged that clients can select any set they like.
The seller reported operating the store for 30 years and said that she by no means coerced customers to buy choices.
As reported, the group bought two sets at 1,200 baht every, two sets at 900 baht each, two units at 600 baht each, and 16 birds at 500 baht each, totalling 13,four hundred baht.
Channel three reported that choices contained in the shrine have been cheaper, nearly 50% decrease than those exterior. However, some international tourists have been unaware of the worth distinction and purchased offerings outdoors the shrine.
Yesterday, the deputy commander of the Tourist Police Thailand, Apichart Suribanya, told the media that it’s regular for retailers outside the shrine to promote costlier offerings.
Apichart stated that the police had warned sellers to obviously state prices and threatened authorized motion for overcharging. Worldwide have been made about overpriced offerings after the police’s warning..