Big Buddha Temple (Wat Phra Yai)
An 18-metre golden Buddha statue on Pratumnak Hill, Pattaya's highest point, with sweeping bay views.
The Big Buddha on Pratumnak Hill (in Thai, Khao Phra Tamnak) is one of Pattaya's most recognisable landmarks: an 18-metre seated golden Buddha facing out to sea. Its formal name is Phra Buddha Sukhothai Walai Chonlathan, though locals and visitors alike simply call it Wat Phra Yai, the "Big Buddha Temple." A monastery has stood on this spot since the 1940s, back when Pattaya was still a fishing village, and the golden statue itself was cast in 1977. It remains the largest Buddha image in Chonburi province.
A wide staircase leads up to the statue, its railings shaped like golden nagas, the seven-headed serpent guardians of Thai mythology. On the upper platform, seven smaller Buddha statues stand alongside the main image, one for each day of the week; Thai tradition has visitors pay respects to the statue matching their birth day. A short walk away sits Wang Sam Sien, a Chinese-style shrine complex with a statue of the goddess Guanyin, usually visited after paying respects to the Big Buddha.
Entry is free, and the temple is open daily from roughly 7am to 10pm. As at any working Thai temple, a modest dress code applies: shoulders and knees should be covered, and shoes come off before entering the pavilions. Pratumnak Hill is Pattaya's highest point, so the site offers one of the city's best panoramas, taking in Pattaya Bay, the coast toward Jomtien, and the islands offshore.
Most visitors come to the Big Buddha independently, en route between Pattaya and Jomtien, combining it with the hill's other viewpoints. The easiest way up is by songthaew from Beach Road, by taxi, or on a rented motorbike, though the road winds sharply as it climbs; bike rental in Pattaya is available through MyThai GO, from 200 THB a day.
