Great Buddha of Thailand


The Great Buddha of Thailand, also known as The Big Buddha, The Big Buddha of Thailand, Phra Buddha Maha Nawamin, and Mahaminh Sakayamunee Visejchaicharn, was in November 2018 the tallest statue in Thailand, the second-tallest statue in Southeast Asia, and the ninth-tallest in the world.
Located in the Wat Muang temple in Ang Thong Province, this statue stands 92 m high, and is 63 m wide. Construction commenced in 1990, and was completed in 2008. It is painted gold and made of concrete. The Buddha is in the seated posture called Maravijaya Attitude.
The statue was built following the order of Phra Kru Vibul Arjarakhun, the first abbot of Wat Muang temple, in order to commemorate the King Bhumibol of Thailand. The statue was built using the donated money from faithful buddhists considering as the act of making merit. The budget spent on the statue was roughly 104,200,000 baht. The statue can now be observed from the far distance, marking the fame of both Ang Thong province and Thailand.
The formal name, Phra Phuttha Mahanawamintra Sakayamunee Sri Visejchaicharn, was given by Phra Khru Vibul Arjarakun, meaning
Together, the name can be translated to The Great Guatama Buddha of Wiset Chai Chan, built to commemorate the great King Bhumibol.
The statue sometimes called by the locals "Luangpho To" or "Luangpho Yai". Which in fact, the term Luangpho To does not refer to any specific Buddha statue. The name means Big Buddha, so it has been used to call any colossal Buddha statue. The same thing goes to the term Luangpho Yai, which means exactly the same.