The Wider Image: In old Bangkok, a goddess resists a wave of gentrification
Inside the shrine of Chao Mae Thap Thim in Bangkok, a figurine of the sea goddess Mazu sits in the centre of a gold-framed altar of deities in a room festooned with lanterns and Chinese scriptures. Outside, a tall, newly erected metal fence stands between the goddess and a vast construction site, where a dozen trucks and excavators are waiting to move in and demolish the historic shrine once at the heart of the Thai capital's Chinese migrant community. The stone lions that protect the shrine may not hold out much longer. Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University, which owns the land, plans to construct two residential buildings, despite protests from its own students. REUTERS/Jorge Silva SEARCH "GENTRIFICATION SILVA" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY. Matching text: THAILAND-GENTRIFICATION/