Every year on November 9th, countless devotees and tourists rush to Bangkok’s famous Erawan Shrine believing it’s the birthday of the Four-Face Buddha (Phra Phrom).

And honestly...

It's not! Not even close. I bet most do not know what they are celebrating that day.

Let’s talk about it —because the truth is not complicated: The Erawan Shrine was built in 1956, and the four-faced statue was officially enshrined on November 9 of that year. That date marks the shrine’s founding, not the God's birthday.

That auspicious day was chosen to resolve problems and delays with a hotel’s construction nearby. That’s it. It has nothing to do with the God's birthday.

Built. Installed. Opened

That’s why there’s a ceremony every year on that date — it’s the anniversary of the shrine, not the birth of the Deity.

The original Erawan Shrine statue has been destroyed and replaced — most famously in 2006 when it was smashed with a hammer.

The statue many people see today is a replacement.

Every year, I know countless people taking leave, booking expensive flights, squeezing into crowds, buying overpriced offerings…All because someone told them “the blessings are stronger on the God’s ‘birthday’.

Let’s be honest — once a myth becomes popular, someone always finds a way to make money from it. This whole “Four-Face Buddha birthday on 9 November” nonsense has turned into a goldmine for travel agencies, tour guides, offering sellers, and even people who package “birthday blessing” rituals like it’s some sort of spiritual Black Friday sale.

The sad part? People fall for it because they don’t know any better — they hear “birthday,” fear of missing out on “stronger blessings,” and start throwing money at anyone who promises them good luck.

My article exists for one reason: to stop people from being financially milked by a myth. If you want to pray, pray. If you want to offer, offer. But don’t let businesses turn your devotion into their profit just because nobody bothered to tell you the truth.

Let me say this clearly: I’m not telling anyone to stop praying at the Erawan Shrine. The shrine is sacred. The shrine is powerful. And the shrine has heard countless sincere cries for help — and answered many of them.

If you want to go to Erawan Shrine on 9 November -Go!with clarity. Go because you want blessings. Go because your heart is sincere.

What I am here to do is protect the sincerity of that devotion. You deserve to pray with truth, with clarity, and with genuine connection — not with myths that someone invented along the way. The shrine’s power and sacredness aren’t in question. The misinformation is. And if your faith has brought you comfort there, I honour that completely.

"Spirituality should open your eyes — not make you blindly follow the next shiny myth."

P.S: Want to know the real birth date of the Four Face Deity? Unlock instantly here!

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