The Great Buddha Temple or the Wight Par Yai, the Eastern Buddhist Temple on the island of Koh Samui , ( Koh Samui is an island in the Gulf of Thailand, about 700 km (430 mi) south of Bangkok and 80 km (50 mi) from the eastern coastline of Southern Thailand. ) . Ward Par Yai is a 12-meter golden statue of Buddhist religion with the image of the Holy Buddha, visible from all the high points of the island.
Having more than half a century history, the Grand Buddha Temple and the Buddha statue are considered to be the main tourist attractions of Koh Samui and the island’s landmark. The temple has designer elements of anemism and is built in combination with Buddhism and Buddhist architectural styles. Like other Thai Buddhist temples, Watt Par Yai is surrounded by stairs.
Access : Coordinates: 9.570804, 100.059845 / The Buddha is near a beachtown called Bang Rak, now often called Big Buddha Beach.
To get to Big Buddha temple, take the main route 4169 up to the northeast region of Samui, then turn off on route 4171. The temple is about 3 kilometres directly north of Samui International Airport, 3km east of Bophut Beach and 7.5km away from Cheweng Beach.
for those hoping to catch a true cultural experience it’s best to go in the early morning hours, the time when local people bring their food and other offerings to the temple and the monks do their morning chanting.
Admissions: free / Hours : it is open all day, but we recommend arriving early in the morning to avoid other tourists as much as possible and enjoy the Buddhist rituals of the faithful and monks.
Note: as it is a sacred temple, visitors are advised to dress politely : you have to be careful with the clothing, trying to cover shoulders and legs / Be sure to wear shirts or scarves that cover the shoulders, trousers or long shorts, and no beachwear when visiting the Big Buddha temple.
Go next : Wat Plai Laem temple / Na Mueang Waterfall / Secret Buddha Garden / Grandmother and Grandfather Rocks / Hin Lat Waterfall.
