Featured in the Feng Shui Network newsletter SACRED SPACE No.11, April 2001
The influences of Feng Shui can be seen where ever you go in Thailand. Especially in Bangkok. Most likely you will find Ba Gua Mirrors of different shapes and sizes some where above an entrance. The placing however would make one think that this is a "cure" in general without specific reason, just to invite good luck or better said to repel any bad luck that might pass your front door.
As nowadays these mirrors are readily available in the super market many Thai do not consult any Feng Shui Professional but just buy these mirrors and follow their neighbours, or some advise they read or heard some where. In the village where I live for example, it has been interesting to see that after one resident had put up such a Ba Gua Mirror other neighbours just followed suit. I believe the thought behind this is, what is good for my neighbour should also be good for me. And on the other hand, it can not hurt to put it up there anyway.
Often Chinese lucky writings, black radicals on red paper, Chinese Buddhist text on different coloured paper or the Thai equivalent, also accompany the Ba Gua Mirrors above the entrance, some times they are framed and well taken care of, but very often not.
In the Chinese community, or people with ethnic Chinese background Feng Shui is very popular. Some are very strict followers where others stop at the point where it will cause them inconvenience or they have to spend more money then they had anticipated. When you have started to build a house already, it is difficult to implement all changes that might be required.
Surely you do also find quite a number of people who do not believe in Feng Shui and say that this only has been developed in ancient times to control the uneducated. But if you look then at the arrangement of their office furniture it makes you wonder if they do not at least follow a few "common sense" Feng Shui rules.
Many businesses are influenced by the Chinese culture or do have a Chinese background. For that it is not surprising to find many high scale projects to ask for the help of a Feng Shui Master. Many private homes as well as High-rise buildings are designed to fit the right Feng Shui of the place and the occupants.
In 1996 for example one large Thai Bank even had their Logo redesigned so that it would fit better with the new location of their new build head office on the banks of the Chao Phraya river next to the Rama IX bridge. Brown coloured waves have been drawn under the existing rice plant, and a red circle has been drawn around it. As a Feng Shui enthusiast the manager of this bank had even an artist paint a picture for his office according to the advise of a Feng Shui Master.
Also in the Government Feng Shui has to help from time to time. At her first day at work the Acting Deputy Labour Minister had a Feng Shui Master rearrange her office to optimise it.
Usually these stories a brought up by newspapers or TV news station as it is funny and has good entertainment value.
That might be also the reason why the most people who use Feng Shui do not speak about it often or openly. Especially not to a foreigner who usually has no idea what Feng Shui really is about.
Only after telling them a little bit about what you are learning they will open up a bit and might also tell you that their father knows the form school and that he has selected the site for the new factory according to it, and that by looking up on a grave he can see if the family is fortunate or unfortunate.
Compared to Feng Shui, astrology does find a wider acceptance in Thailand.
If someone plans a wedding or has to sign an important contract, they will most likely consult an astrologer first. Sometimes the family will just tell the love birds that they should get married until a specific date because other wise it would be to late and the marriage would not last. During the economic down turn many people sought the assistance of astrologers to help them through their difficult times. Many shopping centres or hotels even provide space for fortune tellers. Often you also can have a face or palm reading at the same spot.
This is all for now.
Best wishes
from amazing Thailand Juergen Wessel
designed, maintained and copyright ©2004 Jürgen Wessel
JW Feng Shui; Bangkok / Thailand