[Keith]

I stumbled across this today and am hoping some of you know of this place and can share some pictures!

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PENIS SHRINE (CHAO MAE TUPTIM)

Address : Swisshotel Nai Lert Park Hotel (formerly Hilton Hotel)
Getting there : Ploenchit BTS Station
Opening Hours : 24 hours
Entrance Fee : Free

This place will give even the most self-assured man a serious inferiority complex. The penis shrine, or more correctly known as the Chao Mae Tuptim Shrine, is hidden in a corner within the grounds of Nai Lert Park Hotel. The shrine area is small but rather amusing. Not many tourists visit this place so you can take your time to look around.

Getting there took a bit of walking from Ploenchit BTS Station, and the hotel was not prominent. When we alighted from the train, we stood on the alighting platform and scanned the area for the hotel. We barely saw it. Once you can see where the hotel is, just walk towards it from the station. Look for the hotel while you’re at the alighting platform because you won’t be able to see where it is on ground level.

The shrine was originally dedicated to Chao Tuptim, a female animist spirit who people believe has been residing in the banyan tree next to the shrine for hundreds of years. Years ago though, a woman came to pray at the shrine asking for help from Chao Tuptim because she couldn’t conceive. Nine months later, she gave birth to a healthy son.

She was so pleased with her child that she came back to the shrine and left a large wooden carving of a giant penis in thanks. Others followed her lead and today, you can literally see hundreds of wooden penises, all different colors and sizes there. I wonder what could guys pray for…?

From: http://www.southeastasia.org/index.p...-top-5-sights/

[sextile]

Originally Posted by Keith

PENIS SHRINE (CHAO MAE TUPTIM)
- Address : Swisshotel Nai Lert Park Hotel (formerly Hilton Hotel), Wireless rd.;
... , you can literally see hundreds of wooden penises, all different colors and sizes there.

-- I've taken many of my friends, straight & gay, male & female thither; another facet of 'Amazing Thailand.'; :-) mak mak!
- Actually the hotel is a bit shy of publicising its shrine too overtly. It's situated around the back; from the front of the hotel walk around ANTI/COUNTER CLOCKWISE and keep looking for shady & secluded places - I'm sure that yr. GAYDAR. will detect it soon enough!

-- There are plenty of antique-dealers, shops, stalls, temples and suchlike that sell reproductions of penes - some of amazing size and/or variety of shapes & colors, and wch. can be taken-back home as momentos and/or souvenirs. Although what Homeland Sec'y. or HM. Customs & Excise might say is ... ?
- But then and back here, this is 'Amazing TH.', isn't it?

-- In one or other of the weekly & freebie mags., BKMagazine., Brunch. or Guru. - this is probably a few yrs. back - I remember reading an illustrated article of some man who, over the yrs., has been collecting phalli, and has shelves full of them.
- Possibly some other Gentle Reader has MORE info.?

[icon513]

Yes, Amazing Thailand indeed! Wooden and stone penises are an accepted religious item, while the same thing made of plastic or rubber could (ostensibly) get you thrown in the slammer!

[Yannawa]

This is a picture of Sextile on a recent visit to the site:

[sextile]

Originally Posted by Yannawa

This is a picture of Sextile on a recent visit to the site:

-- Funny, ha! Ha!!
- Well, I darewrite that many of us have heard the song 'Tie a yellow ribbon ... .', but only in the LoS. could one see a pink ribbon!
- And no - I haven't passed-away, requesting - in my Last Will & Testament - that an acorn be placed in the coffin with me to prove or otherwise whether there might or might not be an after-life, reserection or whatever.

[roy77]

I have been there couple of years back. It seems that people go there so that the ladies could get pregnant. Not many people know of the place. When we were there last, we were the only ones there. Even when we were just 100 m from the shrine, not many people know the shrine exists when we ask for it's location.

[sextile]

- Todau, 29 november, eight of us - two Thais and six farangs, met at the SWISSOTEL NAI LER to partake of luncheon, (for which advance reservations suggested.) -

SWISSOTEL NAI LERT,
- Address: 2, Wireless road,
Khet Pathum Wan,
BANGKOK;
- Nearest BTS. station: Ploen Chit,(E2.);
- Tel.: (02)-253 0123..

-- Lunch. is truly gargantuan, and being buffet-style, would satisfy most appetites; cost is just 353.Bh. nett.

-- Afterwards three of us visited the godess Tuptim's shrine. OMG. - what changes have taken place therein; it looks as though some Puritanical & uncultured oafs from the Ministry of Culture - led by some Mrs. Grundy type - have visited and have sanitised it: only a few & concrete offerings are in place, all of the wooden, carved & painted devotional gifts have been cast-aside in some higgledy-piggeldy fashion against a couple of trees: desecration - may the perpetrators become barren or sterile!

--- Afterwards three of us farangs hailed some five taxi-cabs. in succession to take us back to SILOM COMPLEX SHOPPING PLAZA, (where fares for further journeys are readily available.),. Two were prepared to do so but without using their meters; the rest were not interested! But Wireless road, being the home of several embassies, is peopled with those for whom such matters as meterless taxis. would be of little account.
--