# Big Buddha, Koh Samui > The Big Buddha is a 12 m golden statue at Wat Phra Yai on the islet of Ko Fan, joined to Samui by a short causeway. It's the island's best-known landmark. Entry is free; cover your shoulders and knees. It's 7 minutes by taxi from the airport or about 15 minutes from Chaweng. Go in the morning or towards sunset. Web page: https://yesgo.io/thailand/koh-samui/koh-samui-big-buddha - City: [Koh Samui](https://yesgo.io/thailand/koh-samui), Thailand - YesGo score: 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 45 min - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Free; donation boxes - Hours: Daily, roughly 7:00–18:00 - Statue: Golden Buddha 12 m high, 1972 - Dress: Shoulders and knees covered; shoes off at the platform - From the airport: ≈ 3 km, about 7 minutes by taxi - From Chaweng: ≈ 8 km, 15–20 minutes - Coordinates: 9.57083, 100.06055 - Facts checked: 08.11.2026 ## Key facts - **12 m** — height of the gold-painted Buddha (source: en.wikipedia) - **1972** — the year the statue was built (source: en.wikipedia) - **Ko Fan** — the islet joined to Samui by a short causeway (source: en.wikipedia) - **Mara posture** — right hand reaching to the ground — victory over temptation (source: en.wikipedia) - **≈ 3 km** — north of Samui airport (source: en.wikipedia) - **Bang Rak** — the nearby beach, known as Big Buddha Beach (source: en.wikipedia) - **1.1 km** — to Wat Plai Laem — easy to combine (source: OSRM) - **0 baht** — to get in; donations welcome (source: travel guides) ## What is the Big Buddha? The **Big Buddha** is a gold-painted statue **12 m** high at **Wat Phra Yai** ('Temple of the Big Buddha'). It stands on the islet of **Ko Fan** off Samui's northeast coast, joined to the main island by a short causeway. It was built in **1972** and has since become Samui's signature landmark. The Buddha is shown in the **Mara posture**: the left hand rests palm-up in the lap, the right reaches down towards the ground. It marks the moment the Buddha resisted temptation and fear and found calm. Around the statue are a figure of Maitreya, the Buddha of the future, and rows of bells, and a staircase with naga-serpent railings leads up to the platform. > **Dress and behaviour** Wat Phra Yai is a working temple. Cover your shoulders and knees; if your clothes aren't suitable, wraps are usually available on site. Take your shoes off before the statue platform — the tiles get very hot by midday, so mornings are easier. Don't turn your back to the Buddha for close-up selfies or sit on the railings. ## How the temple works A **naga staircase** leads up from the car park. At the top, a platform circles the Buddha, with views of the sea, Bang Rak beach and Koh Phangan on the horizon. Locals come here to pray and ring the bells. At the foot of the stairs is a **bazaar** of souvenirs, amulets and offerings, with cafés and shops around the temple. Entry is **free**, with donation boxes. Guides give different hours — most often roughly 7:00 to 18:00. ## What to see - **The golden Buddha** statue, 12 m high. - **The naga staircase** — serpent guardians. - **Bells** around the platform. - **The statue of Maitreya**, the Buddha of the future. - **Sea views** over Bang Rak beach and Koh Phangan. - **The bazaar at the foot** with amulets and souvenirs. ## How to get to the Big Buddha 1. **From Samui airport** — ≈ 3 km, about 7 minutes by taxi or Grab. 2. **From Chaweng** — ≈ 8 km north, 15–20 minutes by taxi or scooter. 3. **From Bophut** — ≈ 5 km east, about 10 minutes. 4. **By songthaew** — the blue shared trucks run along ring road 4169; from the turn-off onto route 4171, walk or take a taxi. 5. Wat Plai Laem is 1 km away — easy to visit both in one trip. ## Morning or sunset | | Morning | Evening | | --- | --- | --- | | Crowds | Few | More, especially at sunset | | Tiles | Cool | Hot from the day | | Light | Soft, from the sea side | Golden, the statue glows | | Bazaar | Just opening | In full swing | ## How long do you need? Allow **30–45 minutes** for the Big Buddha: climb up, walk round the platform and browse the bazaar. With **Wat Plai Laem**, about an hour and a half. Afterwards, head down to Bang Rak beach or have dinner in **Fisherman's Village** in Bophut, 10 minutes' drive away. ## Is the Big Buddha worth visiting? Yes: it's Samui's symbol, entry is free and the platform has a lovely sea view. It's only a few minutes from the airport. The YesGo take: the statue isn't huge by Thai standards, and by day it's busy with tourists and vendors. Come in the morning or towards sunset, and combine it with nearby Wat Plai Laem. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] Clothes covering shoulders and knees - [ ] Shoes that slip off easily - [ ] Small change for a donation - [ ] Morning or just before sunset - [ ] Wat Plai Laem next on the route ## Temples of Koh Samui: compare and choose Temples and shrines on Koh Samui rated by YesGo. - [Big Buddha](https://yesgo.io/thailand/koh-samui/koh-samui-big-buddha) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · free - [Wat Plai Laem](https://yesgo.io/thailand/koh-samui/wat-plai-laem) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 40 min · free - [Red Temple (Wat Sila Ngu)](https://yesgo.io/thailand/koh-samui/wat-sila-ngu) — YesGo score 30/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · free - [Wat Khunaram (Mummified Monk)](https://yesgo.io/thailand/koh-samui/wat-khunaram) — YesGo score 30/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · free ## Northern Samui in a day The Big Buddha in the morning, then Wat Plai Laem, and Fisherman's Village in Bophut in the evening. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers. 1. [Big Buddha](https://yesgo.io/thailand/koh-samui/koh-samui-big-buddha) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · free 2. [Wat Plai Laem](https://yesgo.io/thailand/koh-samui/wat-plai-laem) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 40 min · free 3. [Fisherman's Village, Bophut](https://yesgo.io/thailand/koh-samui/bophut-fishermans-village) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · free ## Good to know Samui's Big Buddha is not the Big Buddha on Phuket, nor the Big Buddhas of Pattaya, Hong Kong or Sri Lanka. ## Tips - In the morning the tiles are cool — easier barefoot. - Wraps are usually available on site. - Sunset from the sea side makes a fine shot. - Combine it with Wat Plai Laem. - Nearby: [Wat Plai Laem](https://yesgo.io/thailand/koh-samui/wat-plai-laem), 1 km. ## Questions ### How much does the Big Buddha cost to visit? Entry is free; donations are welcome. ### How tall is the statue? 12 metres. ### When was the Big Buddha built? In 1972. ### What should I wear? Cover shoulders and knees; shoes come off at the platform. ### How do I get there from the airport? About 7 minutes by taxi, ≈ 3 km. ### What are the opening hours? Daily, roughly 7:00–18:00 (sources vary). ### How long do you need? 30–45 minutes, about an hour and a half with Wat Plai Laem. ### What's nearby? Wat Plai Laem 1 km away and Bang Rak beach. ## How we checked There's no official website. The statue's height, year, posture and location are from Wikipedia. Guides disagree on hours (6:00–19:00, 7:00–18:30, 8:00–18:00, 8:00–17:00) — we give roughly 7:00–18:00 and mark it unconfirmed. All sources agree entry is free. Distances are from OSRM: 3 km from the airport, 8.2 km from Chaweng, 4.7 km from Bophut, 1.1 km to Wat Plai Laem. Sources don't give a step count, so we don't either. ## Sources - English Wikipedia: Wat Phra Yai — statue, height, year, posture, location, bazaar - Travel guides (The Koh Samui Guide, Thailand Magazine and others) — hours, entry, dress code (unofficial) - Wikidata Q15907894 — coordinates; OSRM — road distances - YesGo general facts for Thailand — payment, transport --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.