A policeman (C) inspects the cordoned-off site of a bomb blast at the popular Erawan shrine in the heart of Bangkok's tourist and commercial centre
Few visitors who make their way to Bangkok's main shopping mall district fail to notice the Erawan Shrine which sits at the foot of a luxury hotel on one of the city's busiest intersections.
The smell of sandalwood incense and the jangle of temple music wafts above the din from the city's gridlocked streets providing a welcome respite for both devotees and curious onlookers.
The shrine itself was erected in 1956 after a string of mishaps befell the construction of a government owned luxury hotel.