Wat Phra Thong

Wat Phra Thong, also referred to as “Wat Phra Phud” or “Temple of Protruding Buddha” is situated in the Thalang district of the province of Phuket. Due to its interior location and its distance from Thailand's beaches, you won’t find many tourists here. The main draw here is a statue of a half-buried Buddha with only his upper torso and head visible. Locals would also be found praying to Buddha and seeking blessings from monks in this location. If you’re planning a temple tour in Thailand, then this place is a must on your list. In this article, we would be guiding you on what to do in and around Wat Phra Thong.

Best time to visit Wat Phra Thong

Every day from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., the temple is open; weekends and holidays may be particularly busy. So it’s better to visit on weekdays. If the unusually heavy rain forces you to cancel your plans, you might visit this temple since admission is usually free and the route there is interesting.

Why should one visit Wat Phra Thong

The history of Wat Phra Thong Temple dates back at least 250 years, making it one of the country's oldest temples. Wat Phra Thong is a place where you can experience silence and peace away from the busy Phuket town and exhilarating tropical beaches in Thailand. It is a temple that you must visit in Thailand because of the tranquil setting and folklore connected to it. 

Legend of Wat Phra Thong

While entering the temple, you will see a statue of a boy and a buffalo at its entrance. People here believe that long ago, a boy tied his buffalo on a pole and went home. Later, he fell sick and passed away because of this illness. People later discovered that the buffalo had also died and found out that that pole was the crown of Buddha’s head. When they tried to unearth the remaining Buddha, the people were struck with illness, and they too faced a similar situation as the boy. This folklore has historical significance that goes back to the 18th-century Burmese Invasion. When the Burmese attempted to take the buried Buddha back to their homeland, they too faced a similar situation and died. Since then, people have started to build a temple around here and started to worship Wat Phra Thong.

Things to do at Wat Phra Thong

Visit the buddha shrine

In this 250-year-old Buddha temple, you’ll find the famous Rising Golden Buddha, which is untouched and well-protected. Aside from this, there are many other Buddha statues inside the shrine where people paste their golden leaves to honor the Buddha's teaching. The temple’s architecture and color patterns are also unique and different when compared to other temples in Thailand.

Visit the Wat Phra Thong Museum

Another excellent feature of this temple is its museum. In this museum, they have a collection of artifacts belonging to the tin mine era, Chinese shoes, Chinese rubber raincoats, daggers, canons, and so on. You could spend an interesting 20 minutes here learning about their culture.

Things to do near Wat Phra Thong

Visit Khao Phra Thaeo National Park

The renowned Khao Phra Thaeo National Park is just a 10-minute drive from Wat Phra Thong Temple. It’s famous for its Gibbon Rehab Center and Bang Pae Waterfalls. You could also challenge yourself and go for a small trek in this park.

Visit Bang Tao Beach

Bang Tao Beach, also known as the second-largest beach in Thailand, is almost a 10-kilometer drive from Wat Phra Thong Temple. Known for its luxurious resorts, spas, night markets, and malls, this beach is worth a try. You could also try Blue Tree park, which is close to Bang Tao Beach, to enjoy water rides with your kids and families

Visit elephant sanctuaries in the surrounding

In Thailand, elephants are generally revered and held in high regard. As a result, elephant sanctuaries are typically easy to find in your neighborhood. To blend with the ecosystem of an elephant, it is advised to visit ethical sanctuaries like Green Elephant Sanctuary.

Try out the eateries

The Thepkrasattri road connecting Wat Phra Temple to Phuket has several hotels with an average rating of over 4 on google. You could visit there and enjoy traditional and authentic Thai cuisine at a reasonable price in this region.

How to reach Wat Phra Thong

• From Phuket International Airport. Wat Phra Thong is less than 15 kilometers, you can easily reach here by catching route 402 or the Thepkrasattri road.
• From the main Phuket town, it takes 40 minutes to reach here vis route 402. Even though you have access to public transport to this region it takes a long time to reach here.