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People who visit Golden Mile Complex would likely pass by a statue of Phra Phrom situated right beside the bus stop.

Phra Phrom is also colloquially known as the Four-Faced Buddha in Singapore.

Phra Phrom traces its origin to the Hindu creator god Brahma.

Phra Phrom is widely worshipped in Thailand and has many worshippers in Singapore.

Statue has to be moved

After it was announced that Golden Mile Complex, often referred to as "Little Thailand", will be closed in May 2023 after a collective sale, many people asked about the statue.

Loh Yuen Seng, 59, one of the founders of Thai Supermarket, told Shin Min Daily News (Shin Min) that while his supermarket and many other tenants had found a new place for their shops, the statue has not found a place to call home.

"The statue definitely will have to be moved, and hopefully, it will also be somewhere outdoors," he said.

Loh added that he hopes to find a place that is publicly accessible like Golden Mile Complex or possibly a temple.

Statue was left behind by a department store

The statue was placed outside the building for more than 20 years.

Loh recounted that the statue was originally housed by a department store within Golden Mile Complex but it was left behind after they moved.

He said he then received a "spark of inspiration" and sought help from a Buddhist priest to move the statue outdoors.

He also set up an offering box for devotees to pay respects to the Buddha, and all the proceeds were donated to charity over the years.

History of "Little Thailand"

Loh may have a role in turning Golden Mile Complex into "Little Thailand", according to Shin Min's report.

Loh started with a tailor shop in 1985, and his business expanded to cover convenience stores, remittance services, F&B, supermarkets, etc.

He told the reporter that there was an influx of Thai workers in the early 80s, and when they took buses from Thailand to Singapore, the final stop would be Golden Mile Complex.

"Whatever the Thai workers wanted, I provided a one-stop shop for them," Loh said.

Thai Supermarket plans to modernise

Loh owns around 20 per cent of all the 400 units within the Golden Mile Complex.

Thai Supermarket and several of Loh's businesses will move to Aperia Mall.

In a separate interview with The Straits Times, he said he would take the opportunity to modernise the supermarket, including new layouts, products, services and payment options.

Even though 80 per cent of his customers are now Singaporeans, he hopes to retain his Thai customers, who nowadays have more choices other than visiting Golden Mile Complex.

He said: "We have to think about how to get them to follow us and carry as many products as possible, so they don't leave disappointed."

Loh also plans to look into opening smaller shops offering groceries and food in estates such as Tampines, Punggol and Jurong once the business at Aperia stabilises.

"My dream is to bring authentic Thai flavour and culture to Singapore," he said.

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Top image via Google Maps lee kokliang & Raftaar Photography