At the astrologically auspicious time of 6:45 a.m. on April 21, 1782, a pillar containing the horoscope for the city of Bangkok was erected in a ceremony opposite the northeast corner of the Grand Palace. Most Thai cities have one of these pillars, called a lak mueang, which provides a home for the city’s guardian spirits. Bangkok’s original pillar is made from a four-meter tree truck carved at the top to resemble a lotus flower. It is believed to have been built by King Rama I, shortly after he moved the capital…
