The Spirit House

I read somewhere that Bangkok is an entirely modern city, yet one that will never lose its cultural identity. A great example of this are the spirit houses that one finds outside every other building. Our temporary housing is located in a block containing upscale hotels and high-end shopping malls, yet outside each chi-chi boutique hotel stands a dias with one of these.
Phra plum is the lucky spirit these are devoted to, and should you wish to bless your workers and guests with good luck, you place one outside for him to inhabit. Then you place figurines of men and women, dancers and animals, etc inside and all around so the spirit is entertained and pleased. People also leave offerings of all kinds, like lighting incense or candles, flowers, food, and drinks. I've seen bottles of water and fruit placed there. Pretty interesting, and it just adds to the personality of Bangkok for me.