Landmark
Wat Phra Thong, Phuket
The temple of the half-buried golden Buddha, in the north of the island.
Landmark
Wat Phra Thong, Phuket
Wat Phra Thong in Thalang, north of the airport road, is built around an image that emerges only from the shoulders up: the rest of the Buddha remains below ground. The temple's name means temple of the golden Buddha.
Local tradition holds that attempts to dig the image out have always ended badly for those who tried, and it has been left as found and gilded where it stands. A small museum in the grounds holds local artefacts.
The temple is well away from the beaches and sees far fewer visitors than Wat Chalong, which is part of its appeal. It is a working temple; dress and behave accordingly.
Attraction Points
- Phuket Old Town — The Sino-Portuguese heart of Phuket Town: arcaded shophouses, merchant mansions and coffee shops along Thalang, Dibuk and...
- Thai Hua Museum — Phuket's Chinese-Thai story told inside the island's first Chinese-language school, a landmark Sino-Portuguese building on...
- Peranakan Museum Phuket — The Baba-Nyonya culture of Phuket — dress, jewellery, wedding customs and household life — gathered in one museum in Phuket...
- Baan Chinpracha — A 1903 Sino-Portuguese mansion on Krabi Road, still owned by the family that built it and open to visitors as a lived-in...
- Karon Beach, Phuket — The long, wide beach between Patong and Kata, known for sand that squeaks underfoot.
- Kata Beach, Phuket — A west-coast bay south of Karon, quieter than Patong and the island's main surf beach in season.
