Singaporeans survived Bangkok Blast...

[kopiOuncle]

Singaporean Donovan Chan, 21, was on a short four-day holiday in Thailand with his mother Michelle Heng, 58, when Madam Heng wanted to visit the Erawan Shrine in Bangkok to pray and give thanks.

Years ago, she had gone to the shrine to pray for a child, and subsequently gave birth to Mr Chan.

The two of them had planned to return to Singapore on Tuesday.

 

[kopiOuncle]

Mr Chan suffered burns on his right side and superficial cuts from tiny pieces of shrapnel. He cannot hear clearly from his right ear at the moment.

His mother had an operation on Tuesday morning to remove pieces of shrapnel in her right leg and is now on a ventilator to help her breathe because she inhaled a lot of smoke.

She was unable to speak when the The Straits Times visited both in hospital on Tuesday.

When the incident happened, they were not with each other. Mr Chan was praying and his back was facing the area where the bomb went off.

He heard a loud blast and a lot of people fell down around him, but he did not fall.

Everything happened very fast, he said: "There were injured people everywhere and dead people around me."

He started looking for his mother, and found her sitting on the floor looking shocked. He tried to pull her up, but her leg was injured.

The blast was so strong that both Madam Heng's phones were damaged.

Mr Chan hopes to transfer his mother to a private hospital, and if everything goes well, send her back to Singapore for treatment.

"There's no point being down now," he added, as whatever happened has happened. The priority now is to get well.

 

[kopiOuncle]

BANGKOK: The Bangkok shrine hit by a bomb blast Monday (Aug 17) was originally built to appease superstitious construction workers and morphed into a popular attraction that typifies the kingdom's unusual blend of Hindu and Buddhist traditions.

Few visitors who make their way to Bangkok's main shopping mall district fail to notice the Erawan Shrine which sits at the foot of a luxury hotel on one of the city's busiest intersections.

The smell of sandalwood incense and the jangle of temple music wafts above the din from the city's gridlocked streets providing a welcome respite for both devotees and curious onlookers.

The shrine itself was erected in 1956 after a string of mishaps befell the construction of a government owned luxury hotel.

An astrologer recommended building a shrine to the four-faced Hindu god Brahma, known locally as Phra Phrom. Local legend states that once the shrine went up, the problems besetting workers stopped and devotees have flocked there ever since.

Such shrines are not unusual in Buddhist majority Thailand, a nation which has forged a syncretic relationship with animist and Hindu traditions.

Shrines to the Hindu gods Ganesha and Shiva can be found just a few hundred metres away from the Erawan while Thais have their own version of the Ramayana epic -- the Ramakien.

In recent years Chinese devotees in particular have flocked to the shrine, fuelled by the belief that prayers and donations there will bring them good luck and fortune.

The fervour with which locals treat the shrine is so great that in 2006 a mentally ill man who attacked the statue of Brahma with a hammer was beaten to death by an angry mob.

The shrine has also been witness to key recent moments in Thailand's febrile political history thanks to its location at the Ratchaprasong intersection.

The key crossing has been taken over by both sides of Thailand's political divide at various times during recent street protests.

In 2010 much the intersection was the scene of a military crackdown against Red Shirt supporters loyal to ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

When the crackdown finished a large mall opposite the shrine was gutted by fire.

Five years on the shrine has once more been witness to violence in the capital.

 

[kopiOuncle]

 

[laksaboy]

Only damaged the ear and right side of the face. LKY's divine spirit must be blessing and protecting him.

 

[Narong Wongwan]

Sinkie and his mum should just be thankful they're still in one piece.

 

[tonychat]

Sinkie and his mum should just be thankful they're still in one piece.

Both of them must be Anti-PAP and opposition supporters.

 

[xpo2015]

Like this also can?

 

[kopiOuncle]

believe it or not
sometimes divine protection is evident
so near to death
and yet escape
this is definitely unbelievably divine intervention
thanks to heaven and earth
thanks to Brahma

 

[looneytan]

believe it or not

Yah, believe

Go give dogfuck la, shoo

 

[xpo2015]

In almost all religion everybody must be sacrificed for their gods!

Only in one faith, God himself sacrificed for us because He loves us!

Now which one is the greatest God?



Psalms 115
Not to us, Lord, not to us
but to your name be the glory,
because of your love and faithfulness.
2 Why do the nations say,
“Where is their God?”
3 Our God is in heaven;
he does whatever pleases him.
4 But their idols are silver and gold,
made by human hands.
5 They have mouths, but cannot speak,
eyes, but cannot see.
6 They have ears, but cannot hear,
noses, but cannot smell.
7 They have hands, but cannot feel,
feet, but cannot walk,
nor can they utter a sound with their throats.
8 Those who make them will be like them,
and so will all who trust in them

 

[kopiOuncle]

Yah, believe

Go give dogfuck la, shoo

your mouth will be infested with maggots
your blain will be filled with dung
your eyes will see nothing but evil
your senses will feel nothing but the devil

now go fuck your dog

 

[Narong Wongwan]

Both of them must be Anti-PAP and opposition supporters.

Yes every opposition voter is important and can make the difference