Temples and shrines · Nakkerd Hill, between Chalong and Kata
Big Buddha
A 45 m white marble Buddha on the hilltop above Kata, reopened in March 2026 under new management and new rules.
Access
By road
Time to allow
Part of a morning, with Wat Chalong
Best time
At opening time, 9 am
Why go
For the landmark and the viewing terraces, and for a working temple area around the statue. It pairs easily with Wat Chalong, about 8 km away, in one morning.
Not for you if you ride a scooter with little experience: the road up is steep and narrow in places.
What you will find
The statue, Phra Phuttha Ming Mongkol Eknakiri, is 45 m high and about 25 m wide, made of reinforced concrete faced with white Burmese marble. Work began in the early 2000s; sources give 2002 or 2004.
Since the reopening, the statue, the main stairway, the temple area and the viewing terraces are open, according to a guide written after it; the rest of the hill remained closed as of March 2026. It is open every day from 9 am to 6 pm, with last entry around 5.30 pm. Admission was free for the first month after the reopening, with donations welcome; we found no confirmed fee since.
The story
On 23 August 2024, a landslide on the slopes below the hill killed 13 people and injured 19 in Kata, and the site was closed. Its cause is disputed: the army pointed to earthworks on the site, the provincial natural resources director to the geology of the hill, and the foundation then running the site denied responsibility. A class action by residents was still before the Phuket court in March 2026.
The Big Buddha reopened on 3 March 2026. It is now run by Wat Kittisangkharam (Wat Kata) rather than by the foundation that built it, on a permitted area of 15 rai (about 2.4 hectares) and under 25 conditions set by the Forestry Department.
Getting there
By road only, up a lane from Chaofa West Road in Chalong that is steep and narrow in places: by car, taxi, scooter or a tuk-tuk that waits for you. Wat Chalong is about 8 km away.
One source describes a walking trail up from Patak Road in Karon, near the area of the 2024 landslide; we could not confirm that it is safe or open, and do not recommend it.
Before you go
Cover your shoulders and knees, no beachwear, and take your shoes off in the indoor shrines.
It is a place of worship above a neighbourhood where people died in 2024: keep that in mind when you choose what to photograph and how.
Where this place leads
Common questions
Is the Big Buddha in Phuket open?
Yes. It reopened on 3 March 2026 after being closed since the landslide of August 2024, and is open every day from 9 am to 6 pm. As of March 2026, only the statue, the main stairway, the temple area and the terraces were open.
How much does it cost to visit the Big Buddha?
Entry was free for the first month after it reopened in March 2026, with donations welcome. We found no confirmed fee since.
What should I wear to the Big Buddha?
Clothes that cover your shoulders and knees, and no beachwear. Take your shoes off in the indoor shrines.