Two civic groups have stepped up calls for the relocation of Khru Kai Kaeo, a deity represented by a gargoyle-like sculpture, from a shrine in the compound of a hotel near the Ratchada-Lat Phrao intersection in Bangkok.
The Artists Council for the Promotion of Buddhism of Thailand plan to submit a letter today to executives of The Bazaar Hotel Bangkok, saying the statue is causing fear among some people.
The giant statue has been the talk of the town since photos went viral online after it got stuck beneath an overpass while being transported to the hotel, which is popular with Chinese tourists and expatriates.
Installing the strange statue for people to worship or seek blessings went against Buddhist teachings, the artists’ group says.
The Rassadorn Thai Haeng Chart group, meanwhile, has submitted a letter to Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt, asking him to order the relocation of the statue from the area near the Lat Phrao MRT station in Huai Khwang district.
People living in nearby communities were gripped with fear by the presence of the statue, the group said.
Others have flocked to the sculpture to ask for blessings, leaving behind items including flowers and wallets. Some worshipers have gone as far as soliciting kittens or puppies online to use for sacrifices, according to social media accounts that have been critical of the craze.
Spokesman Phonphakhun Setthayabodee said the group was shocked by reports that some people would consider using pets as sacrifices to the half-human, half mythical bird sculpture. Killing animals to worship a deity went against civilised culture, peace and order, he said.
On Wednesday, Watchdog Thailand (WDT) warned against using pets as sacrifices to Khru Kai Kaeo.
Traisuree Taisaranakul, a deputy government spokesperson, also joined the chorus of concern on Thursday.
“Concerning any trends on social media, people should consider the history and the beautiful Thai culture of not encroaching on other lives,” Ms Traisuree said in a statement. “If you believe in something, believe with mindfulness and do not become obsessed and fall prey to people with bad intentions.”
A relative of the sculptor who created the Khru Kai Kaeo statue has insisted that making animal sacrifices as a misinterpretation of the correct protocol.
The statue has a menacing appearance resembling a gargoyle from Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris but is claimed to have originated in Cambodia.
According to some believers, Khru Kai Kaeo, also known as Khru Ba Kai Kaeo, was the revered teacher of Jayavarman VII, a former king of the Khmer Empire.
But Tongthong Chandransu, a history scholar, said he has never heard of this alleged teacher.