Big Buddha Temple (Wat Phra Yai)

★ 4.4 (51K+ reviews) • 13K+ booked
Overview
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Hotels

Big Buddha Temple (Wat Phra Yai) Tickets & Tours

Phuket Must-See Half Day Tour and ATV Experience
Klook's choice
Tours • From Phuket

Phuket Must-See Half Day Tour and ATV Experience

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Hotel pick-up
Free cancellation
4.3 / 5
(379) • 6K+ booked
RON 60.80
Save RON 15.20
Phuket Old Town Private Full-Day Tour
Tours • From Phuket

Phuket Old Town Private Full-Day Tour

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Hotel pick-up
Private tour
4.4 / 5
(483) • 3K+ booked
RON 352.70
Koh Samui Half-Day City Highlights Tour
Tours • Ko Samui

Koh Samui Half-Day City Highlights Tour

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Hotel pick-up
Free cancellation
4.6 / 5
(83) • 1K+ booked
RON 155.75
Phuket City Half Day Tour
Klook's choice
Tours • From Phuket

Phuket City Half Day Tour

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Hotel pick-up
Free cancellation
4.5 / 5
(124) • 2K+ booked
RON 111.99
Koh Samui Big Buddha & Wat Plai Laem Half-Day Tour
Klook's choice
Tours • Ko Samui

Koh Samui Big Buddha & Wat Plai Laem Half-Day Tour

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Free cancellation
Instant confirmation
4.7 / 5
(67) • 1K+ booked
RON 121.15
Koh Samui Adventure: Hidden Gems & 4x4 Safari Tour with Lunch
Klook's choice
Tours • From Ko Samui

Koh Samui Adventure: Hidden Gems & 4x4 Safari Tour with Lunch

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Free cancellation
Instant confirmation
4.5 / 5
(15) • 200+ booked
RON 270.79
Surat Thani Half-Day 4x4 Jungle Adventure with Lunch
Klook's choice
Tours • Ko Samui

Surat Thani Half-Day 4x4 Jungle Adventure with Lunch

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Small group
Free cancellation
4.7 / 5
(69) • 1K+ booked
RON 264.65
Koh Samui Island Discovery Tour by Travstore
Tours

Koh Samui Island Discovery Tour by Travstore

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Free cancellation
Instant confirmation
3.9 / 5
(20) • 600+ booked
RON 180.50
The Paradise of Samui 4X4 Adventure Tour
Tours

The Paradise of Samui 4X4 Adventure Tour

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Hotel pick-up
Private tour
4.8 / 5
(6) • 100+ booked
RON 263.65
Ko Samui Half-Day Cultural Exploration with Temples
Tours • Ko Samui

Ko Samui Half-Day Cultural Exploration with Temples

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Free cancellation
Instant confirmation
New Activity
RON 121.15
Ko Samui Half-Day Small Group Cruise with Snorkeling
Tours • Ko Samui

Ko Samui Half-Day Small Group Cruise with Snorkeling

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Free cancellation
Instant confirmation
New Activity
RON 356.15
Pattaya Full-Day Tour with Colosseum Show
Tours • From Bangkok

Pattaya Full-Day Tour with Colosseum Show

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Free cancellation
Instant confirmation
4.5 / 5
(155) • 8K+ booked
RON 257.95

Where to stay in Big Buddha Temple (Wat Phra Yai)

Explorar Koh Samui – Adults Only Resort and Spa
Hotels • Ko Samui

Explorar Koh Samui – Adults Only Resort and Spa

Instant confirmation
4.7 / 5
(578)
From
RON 340.12
Hyatt Regency Koh Samui
Hotels • Ko Samui

Hyatt Regency Koh Samui

Instant confirmation
4.7 / 5
(455)
From
RON 804.33
Impiana Resort Chaweng Noi
Hotels • Ko Samui

Impiana Resort Chaweng Noi

Instant confirmation
4.1 / 5
(326)
From
RON 228.45
Casa De Mar
Hotels • Ko Samui

Casa De Mar

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4.5 / 5
(456)
From
RON 164.45
Escape Beach Resort
Hotels • Ko Samui

Escape Beach Resort

Instant confirmation
4.3 / 5
(551)
From
RON 125.03
The Culture Samui
Hotels • Ko Samui

The Culture Samui

Instant confirmation
4.5 / 5
(91)
From
RON 586.74
OZO Chaweng Samui
Hotels • Ko Samui

OZO Chaweng Samui

Instant confirmation
4.4 / 5
(1.0K)
From
RON 372.65
Chaweng Noi Pool Villa
Hotels • Ko Samui

Chaweng Noi Pool Villa

Instant confirmation
4.0 / 5
(386)
From
RON 198.75
Chaweng Regent Beach Resort
Hotels • Ko Samui

Chaweng Regent Beach Resort

Instant confirmation
4.3 / 5
(1.0K)
From
RON 572.53
Muang Samui Spa Resort
Hotels • Ko Samui

Muang Samui Spa Resort

Instant confirmation
4.4 / 5
(385)
From
RON 728.84
Celes Samui
Hotels • Ko Samui

Celes Samui

Instant confirmation
4.6 / 5
(326)
From
RON 433.04
Hansar Samui Resort & Spa
Hotels • Ko Samui

Hansar Samui Resort & Spa

Instant confirmation
4.7 / 5
(446)
From
RON 627.16

Transport to & from Big Buddha Temple (Wat Phra Yai)

Koh Samui Ferry & Bus ticket by Lomprayah
(From Ko Samui)

Koh Samui Ferry & Bus ticket by Lomprayah

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4.3 / 5
(157) • 5K+ booked
RON 58.75
Retail: RON 64.15
Koh Samui - Koh Pangan - Koh Tao Ferry by Lomprayah
(From Ko Samui, Chumphon Province)

Koh Samui - Koh Pangan - Koh Tao Ferry by Lomprayah

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Free cancellation
4.3 / 5
(158) • 8K+ booked
RON 49.89
Koh Samui Car Rental with Driver by Smile Samui Tour
(From Ko Samui)

Koh Samui Car Rental with Driver by Smile Samui Tour

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Customized itinerary
Free cancellation
4.9 / 5
(144) • 1K+ booked
RON 285.05
Koh Samui Car Rental with Driver by Black Panda Travel
Ko Samui

Koh Samui Car Rental with Driver by Black Panda Travel

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Free cancellation
Instant confirmation
4.8 / 5
(22) • 100+ booked
RON 302.85
Ko Samui|Samui Airport Private Airport Transfer
Private airport transfers • Ko Samui

Ko Samui|Samui Airport Private Airport Transfer

Bestseller
Instant confirmation
4.8 / 5
(3.2K) • 10K+ booked
From
RON 51.49
Koh Samui car rentals | Choose from multiple car models
11.11 deal
Car rentals • Ko Samui

Koh Samui car rentals | Choose from multiple car models

Instant confirmation
Free cancellation
Sixt
3K+ booked
From
RON 102
/day
10% off

More to explore

Luxury Dining at Garrya Tongsai Bay Samui
Food & dining • Ko Samui

Luxury Dining at Garrya Tongsai Bay Samui

Book now for tomorrow
Free cancellation
Instant confirmation
RON 320.69
RON 356.29
Save RON 35.60
SunRay Social & Swim Club Day Pass at SAii Koh Samui Villas
11.11 deal
Ko Samui

SunRay Social & Swim Club Day Pass at SAii Koh Samui Villas

Book now for today
Instant confirmation
New Activity
RON 213.75
Buy 2 get 50% off select options
Afternoon Tea Experience at W Koh Samui, W T-Time
Food & dining

Afternoon Tea Experience at W Koh Samui, W T-Time

Book now for today
Free cancellation
Instant confirmation
4.8 / 5
(6) • 300+ booked
RON 412.45
Retail: RON 441.79

Big Buddha Temple (Wat Phra Yai) Reviews

Klook User
2026-09-20 11:12:46
Fantastic 5.0
excellent guides and organisation . it was rainy day in low season and it was good way to spend a few hours and to visit Big Budha, Wat Chalong Temple and other interesting places
Klook User
2026-08-19 03:31:12
Fantastic 5.0
excellant driver very nice person flexible always smiling and good conversation we went around most of island stopping briefly in differant places which we wanted he was completley flexible and gave good advise where we needed. travelled with children and he was nice to the also. driver name was AO
nithya *
2026-06-20 10:03:52
Fantastic 5.0
Great tour with my guide. The coconut ice cream was good and the pace of tour was good.
Nurshaqilah *********
2026-06-11 12:55:45
Fantastic 5.0
It was a great full day tour with Mossy and Shita. They are really cheerful and friendly. Mossy explained really well on every location we went. I really like rhe viewpoint. The views are amazing and breathtaking! Despite the hot weather, Mossy and Shita provide us a really good service~ photos are well taken! Thank you!
Klook User
2026-08-01 08:23:30
Fantastic 5.0
Great tour, helps you check off the different landmarks around the island of Koh Samui in just a day! The aircon van is also perfect for a hot and sunny day in Koh Samui to chill while going to the next location! One thing i wished could be improved is more introduction to the history of Koh Samui, I felt that there was very little explaination and wished there was more information about the different places and their rich history. Other than that, a very good tour! Would highly recommend!
Joy ***
2026-08-12 03:34:17
Fantastic 5.0
True hidden gems in Koh Samui. It was packed with nice surprises & adventure! The 4x4 drivers were fun! The only downside was guide not really well aware of the local history... and calling out local monument of Shiva as 'beautiful lady' 😣
Christophe *
2026-09-21 15:41:48
Fantastic 5.0
The tour was great! Very well organized with a smooth pickup. It did rain, but that's not your fault :) It was still fun, and the water fight was amazing - you just get absolutely soaked, and it lasts a little too long. Make sure to secure your valuables in time.
LEE ********
2026-11-05 10:32:28
Fantastic 5.0
My British boyfriend and I had a wonderful time. Scanning the QR code to enter the park was very fast, and we got the buy-one-get-one-free price, which was an incredible deal. We only joined the feeding program, but it was so much fun to get up close and personal with the baby elephants. The staff enthusiastically explained everything about the elephants to us and patiently answered all of our questions. The elephants are truly adorable and so gentle. The memories of the elephants are the best part of this trip to Koh Samui.
Klook-Nutzer
2026-08-28 14:49:38
Fantastic 5.0
Amazing experience! Great coaching team, everyone super friendly, brilliant training!

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FAQs about Big Buddha Temple (Wat Phra Yai)

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What to know about Big Buddha Temple (Wat Phra Yai)

Immerse yourself in the spiritual and historical wonders of Wat Phra Yai Koh Samui, also known as Big Buddha Temple. This iconic destination offers a serene and breathtaking experience that will captivate your senses and leave you in awe. Welcome to Wat Phra Yai, also known as the Big Buddha Temple, a captivating Buddhist temple located on Ko Phan, a small island off the northeastern coast of Ko Samui, Thailand. Home to a magnificent 12-meter-high gold-painted Buddha statue, Wat Phra Yai has become a prominent tourist attraction and a significant landmark on the island since its establishment in 1972. Discover the allure of Koh Samui's Big Buddha, a star attraction that captivates visitors with its grandeur and intricate details. Plan your visit to this iconic site and immerse yourself in the cultural and historical significance of this religious landmark.
H3C5+7XV, Bo Put, Ko Samui District, Surat Thani 84320, Thailand

Remarkable Landmarks and Must-Visit Sights

Big Buddha Statue

The towering 12-meter tall Buddha statue is the centerpiece of Wat Phra Yai, surrounded by intricate details and vibrant colors. The temple itself is a beautiful blend of traditional Thai architecture and peaceful surroundings. The Big Buddha statue at Wat Phra Yai portrays Buddha in a state of calm and purity, symbolizing the triumph over temptation and fear. The temple also houses a smaller statue of the Maitreya of the Future and a collection of bells, showcasing a blend of animism, Brahminism, and Buddhism in its architecture.

Serpent Staircase and Mara Pose

The jeweled serpent staircase leads to a tall platform where the Buddha sits in a Mara pose, symbolizing his journey to enlightenment. The intricate details and symbolism make this a must-see attraction.

Scenic Views and Sculptures

Climb the 72 steps to the top for stunning views of Big Buddha Beach and explore the sandy beach area with unique sculptures, including a mermaid and a green sea horse.

Cultural and Historical Significance

Built in 1972, Wat Phra Yai holds deep cultural and historical significance, offering insights into Thai spirituality and traditional practices. The temple's architecture and artifacts reflect the rich heritage of the region. Wat Phra Yai holds a rich cultural and historical significance, with its intricate temple design incorporating elements of various belief systems. The presence of nāga statues and a bazaar within the temple grounds adds to the unique cultural experience for visitors.

Local Cuisine

After your visit, indulge in delicious local dishes at nearby eateries like The Social Samui, offering stunning views of Big Buddha. Try authentic Thai flavors and vegan options while enjoying a relaxing atmosphere. Explore the vibrant culinary scene around Wat Phra Yai, particularly in the area known as Big Buddha Beach (Bang Rak). Indulge in popular local dishes and dining experiences that offer a taste of authentic Thai flavors.