Big Buddha

Big Buddha in the south of Phuket (also known under Phra Phutta Ming Mongkol Akenakiri or Ming Mongkol Buddha).

The Big Buddha of Phuket or Phra Phutta Ming Mongkol Akenakiri as its official Thai name, can literally been seen from all the four corners of Phuket you can see the 45 meters high and 25 m wide, all white marble Big Buddha Statue rising more than 400 m above sea level.

Coming from Wat Chalong and another five-minute drive towards Chalong circle you follow the sign saying “Big Buddha” on the right side, behind a gas station. Whether you are on your way to the top with a bicycle, motorcycle, car or tour bus, it is always astonishing to see the Buddha Statue up close and then you immediately know why it is called the Big Buddha. Standing tall on its own ground it can be compared to Big Buddha on Lantau Island (Hong Kong). While the Statue itself can be called complete, there is still a lot of construction work in progress and you have to walk through this to get to the stairs which lead to the marble statue.

Not only is the view breathtaking, but you will also be surprised to learn that you can actually walk inside the Big Buddha. It harbors ample space for monks to gather and recite from their Buddhist scriptures and you can hear them as soon as you park your choice of transportation in the parking area and the loudspeakers make sure you do not miss a thing!!

Visitors who would like to be blessed by the monk who sits in the first hall before you can go upstairs to the Big Buddha can do so by respectfully approaching him. The best thing is to watch the locals and imitate them. The monk will kindly ignore your shortcomings and will bless you and give you a colored ribbon to remind you when you get back home that there was this one moment of quietness in between all of the buzz surrounding this place.