Author Topic: Cannon Feng Shui in Bangkok  (Read 1018 times)

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Offline Cannoneer

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Cannon Feng Shui in Bangkok
« on: August 30, 2010, 10:26:08 PM »
"Feng Shui: The Ancient Chinese Art of Placement
Feng shui, which translates to "the wind and the water," is the Chinese art of correct placement. Practitioners believe that by arranging our furnishings and decor in a way that aligns with nature, we draw harmony and good health into our lives. According to this ancient philosophy, the placement of everything from the front door to the toilet plays in our overall well being. The Chinese actually employ a Feng shui master before building or buying a home. Most Feng shui experts stress the use of aesthetics and common sense in acheiving the desired results."

I found this article amusing; it's basically self-explanatory, but the Thai government evidently thought that their collection of forty historic cannons pointing at the "Grand Palace" was giving their country some bad mojo, so they decided to alter the gun's positions. If you click on the link at the bottom of the page (Final positioning of the Defence Ministry cannons on August 23, 2004) you'll find that this repositioned the guns to point at the "Defence Ministry." It seems that after awhile the Thai officials came to understand that the Defense Ministry was now being affected by the bad mojo emanating from the guns muzzles, so they changed their position one more time; the last move positioned the cannons sideways on the lawn in front of the Ministry. The turning of the cannons

RIP John. While on vacation July 4th 2013 in northern Wisconsin, he was ATVing with family and pulled ahead of everyone and took off at break-neck speed without a helmet. He lost control.....hit a tree....and the tree won.  He died instantly.

The one thing that you can almost always rely on research leading to, is more research.

Offline Cat Whisperer

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Re: Cannon Feng Shui in Bangkok
« Reply #1 on: September 02, 2010, 09:36:29 AM »
Ahhh to be PC!

Is the enemy they or us?

Tim K                 www.GBOCANNONS.COM
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Offline Cannoneer

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Re: Cannon Feng Shui in Bangkok
« Reply #2 on: September 02, 2010, 10:25:56 AM »
I know it is a different culture, and what might appear like a frivolous superstition to us may well be something very serious to them, but by the same token I think it's a valid judgement to make that this country has enough well known practical problems (then and now), so that an outside observer could honestly say that those officials could have spent that money more wisely. 
RIP John. While on vacation July 4th 2013 in northern Wisconsin, he was ATVing with family and pulled ahead of everyone and took off at break-neck speed without a helmet. He lost control.....hit a tree....and the tree won.  He died instantly.

The one thing that you can almost always rely on research leading to, is more research.

Offline GGaskill

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Re: Cannon Feng Shui in Bangkok
« Reply #3 on: September 02, 2010, 11:33:53 AM »
On the other hand, did they really "spend" that money if they used otherwise unutilized military personnel who would have been paid to sweep the barracks or paint rocks for the sergeant major's rock garden?  I suppose they burned some fuel that otherwise wouldn't have been burnt but that is probably a drop in the cost bucket.
GG
“If you're not a liberal at 20, you have no heart; if you're not a conservative at 40, you have no brain.”
--Winston Churchill

Offline Victor3

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Re: Cannon Feng Shui in Bangkok
« Reply #4 on: September 02, 2010, 08:33:07 PM »
I know it is a different culture, and what might appear like a frivolous superstition to us may well be something very serious to them... 

 Do you think Nancy Reagan allowed ladders to be left set up in front of the door to the Oval Office? ;D
"It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly, one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts."

Sherlock Holmes

Offline Cannoneer

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Re: Cannon Feng Shui in Bangkok
« Reply #5 on: September 03, 2010, 09:46:41 AM »
Do you think Nancy Reagan allowed ladders to be left set up in front of the door to the Oval Office? ;D


I don't remember anything about ladders, but now that you mention her name it does bring to mind Donald Regan's (Ronnie's Chief of Staff) book where he broke the news that after the President was shot she wouldn't allow him to make so much as a move without first consulting an astrologer.
I suppose when you really get down to it that no one culture really has the right to point fingers at another when it comes to superstitions. ;)




RIP John. While on vacation July 4th 2013 in northern Wisconsin, he was ATVing with family and pulled ahead of everyone and took off at break-neck speed without a helmet. He lost control.....hit a tree....and the tree won.  He died instantly.

The one thing that you can almost always rely on research leading to, is more research.

Offline gulfcoastblackpowder

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Re: Cannon Feng Shui in Bangkok
« Reply #6 on: September 03, 2010, 10:15:06 AM »
I can understand not wanting to have cannon facing the palace, whether or not they were giving the country bad mojo.   If an uprising were to occur, the cannons would already be in the direction needed to be used against the government.  It's the same thing as trying to avoid walking in front of a cannon whether it's loaded or not - it's just bad practice to have the muzzle aimed at anything you don't want destroyed.  With them now facing sideways, what are they aimed at?

Offline Cannoneer

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Re: Cannon Feng Shui in Bangkok
« Reply #7 on: September 03, 2010, 10:55:28 AM »
Yeah, I'll have to admit that I never gave much consideration to that thought; I don't know what the cannon are now pointed at.
RIP John. While on vacation July 4th 2013 in northern Wisconsin, he was ATVing with family and pulled ahead of everyone and took off at break-neck speed without a helmet. He lost control.....hit a tree....and the tree won.  He died instantly.

The one thing that you can almost always rely on research leading to, is more research.

Offline Victor3

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Re: Cannon Feng Shui in Bangkok
« Reply #8 on: September 03, 2010, 11:00:24 AM »
 With them now facing sideways, what are they aimed at?

 The IRS (ThaiRS?) building.  ;D
"It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly, one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts."

Sherlock Holmes

Offline Cannoneer

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Re: Cannon Feng Shui in Bangkok
« Reply #9 on: September 03, 2010, 11:30:11 AM »
Victor, I'm speechless, and that's sayin' somethin'! That was bad! :D
RIP John. While on vacation July 4th 2013 in northern Wisconsin, he was ATVing with family and pulled ahead of everyone and took off at break-neck speed without a helmet. He lost control.....hit a tree....and the tree won.  He died instantly.

The one thing that you can almost always rely on research leading to, is more research.

Offline dan610324

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Re: Cannon Feng Shui in Bangkok
« Reply #10 on: September 03, 2010, 11:44:10 AM »
the barrels pointing to the north is almost pointing at the supreme court  ;D
just turn them a few degreas to east and you will hit it

the barrels pointing south  ;D  they point directly on the army reserve command  ;D
but ok you got the sararom royal park there in between
Dan Pettersson
a swedish cannon maniac
interested in early bronze guns

better safe than sorry

Offline Cannoneer

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Re: Cannon Feng Shui in Bangkok
« Reply #11 on: September 05, 2010, 10:19:43 AM »
Dan,
How did you become so familiar with town plan of Bangkok, were you the Swedish ambassador at one time? ::)
RIP John. While on vacation July 4th 2013 in northern Wisconsin, he was ATVing with family and pulled ahead of everyone and took off at break-neck speed without a helmet. He lost control.....hit a tree....and the tree won.  He died instantly.

The one thing that you can almost always rely on research leading to, is more research.

Offline dan610324

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Re: Cannon Feng Shui in Bangkok
« Reply #12 on: September 05, 2010, 10:57:39 AM »
google maps   ;D
with satelite photos  ::)
each and every cannon is visible

havent been in bkk for 6 years  ;D
Dan Pettersson
a swedish cannon maniac
interested in early bronze guns

better safe than sorry

Offline Cannoneer

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Re: Cannon Feng Shui in Bangkok
« Reply #13 on: September 09, 2010, 11:36:13 AM »
On the other hand, did they really "spend" that money if they used otherwise unutilized military personnel who would have been paid to sweep the barracks or paint rocks for the sergeant major's rock garden?  I suppose they burned some fuel that otherwise wouldn't have been burnt but that is probably a drop in the cost bucket.

The converter says that their Baht is worth a little over 3 cents USD, so the million mentioned in the article would amount to around 32 grand. I know this would never happen, and it's no fortune to begin with, but I think it would be a great thing if this money would have been given to Western missionaries in Bangkok that are trying to help alleviate some of the symptoms of the disgusting disease of the juvenile sex-slave industry that's rampant there.
RIP John. While on vacation July 4th 2013 in northern Wisconsin, he was ATVing with family and pulled ahead of everyone and took off at break-neck speed without a helmet. He lost control.....hit a tree....and the tree won.  He died instantly.

The one thing that you can almost always rely on research leading to, is more research.