Here at the Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkok, just after immigration, before you enter the duty-free shops, you're reminded of the cultural heritage of this region, with a huge golden tableau of Samudra Manthan, coming from the Hindu scriptures describing the churning of the ocean. In India it is believed that this primeval event occured just off the Puri Jagannatha coast in the Bay of Bengal. Across the sea of course is Thailand.
This churning was to acquire Amruta, the nectar of immortality. Vishnu became the Kurma or Turtle who balanced the churner mountain Meru, and devas and asuras tried a coalition effort using Vasuki, the snake, as the rope. The churning produced many great items, good and bad, including the Haalahala poison which Nilakantha Shiva drank up to save the world. And finally, when the Amruta came out, it was cleverly held back from the unreliable asuras or rakshasas by Vishnu. He felt only the good but feeble devas deserved to drink it. For this to be accomplished, He of course had to become Mohini, the ultimate female temptress.
I have also loaded my video on YouTube showing the full tableau:
