In recent years Chinese devotees in particular have flocked to the shrine, fuelled by the belief that prayers and donations there will bring them good luck and fortune.
The fervour with which locals treat the shrine is so great that in 2006 a mentally ill man who attacked the statue of Brahma with a hammer was beaten to death by an angry mob.
The shrine has also been witness to key recent moments in Thailand's febrile political history thanks to its location at the Ratchaprasong intersection.