Buddha image on the rock of Khao Chi Chan. Mountain with the image of the Golden Buddha in Pattaya - Khao Chi Chan How to get to the Golden Buddha Mountain in Pattaya
30 km from Pattaya there is a large temple complex, Wat Yan or Wat Yansangwararam, as well as the Mount of the Golden Buddha. These two attractions are very popular in Pattaya and are definitely worth a visit. The distance between Wat Yan Temple and Golden Buddha Mountain is only a couple of kilometers, so it is convenient to visit them together. I will tell you why these two attractions are interesting in this article.
The area of Wat Yan is quite large and covers 145 hectares. It contains approximately a dozen religious buildings made in a variety of architectural styles. Here you will find traditional Thai style, as well as Chinese, Indian and Singaporean. The main temple of this complex is Wat Yan.
You should definitely climb the mountain to the footprint of Buddha. A staircase consisting of 300 steps leads to it. This shrine is significant in this temple complex and deeply revered by local residents. There is also a beautiful view from the mountain.
In the Wat Yang temple complex there is a meditation center that anyone can visit. The center offers meditation classes and workshops based on the teachings of the Buddha. Also in the center you can find out when the next classes are held.
Monks live in separate houses. They are trained in Buddhism and take care of the cleanliness of the temple complex.
The grounds of Wat Yan are well maintained and beautiful. Lots of flowers, trimmed bushes, two beautiful lakes, fountains, comfortable gazebos and benches. Near the lake there are trading tents where you can buy fish food and feed the inhabitants of the lake. They also sell birds, turtles and fish, which should be released into the wild after purchase. Thais believe that in this way a person is cleansed of sins.
The territory of the Wat Yan temple complex is almost always quiet and calm, with very few people. It’s nice to walk along the temples and picturesque nature, sit on the shore of the lake and enjoy all this beauty.
Golden Buddha Mountain
Not far from Wat Yan is the Golden Buddha Mountain. On this mountain, an image of Buddha sitting in the lotus position is laid out in golden slabs. The height of the image is about 160 m. At the foot of the mountain there is a pond.
The area near the Golden Buddha Mountain is well-groomed and well-equipped. There are gazebos where you can sit in silence while enjoying the magnificent views.
It is not possible to stay overnight near the Wat Yan temple and the Golden Buddha Mountain, since these attractions are surrounded by the jungle and there are no hotels or any residential buildings near them.
Working hours
Wat Yan is open to the public every day from 8am to 4pm. Free admission. However, we must not forget about proper appearance. When visiting religious places, you must wear clothing that covers your shoulders, stomach, chest and knees.
The best time to visit these two attractions is in the morning before 10:00, as during these hours there are practically no tourists and there is no unbearable heat.
How to get there?
The easiest way to get to Wat Yan and Golden Buddha Mountain is with a guided tour, which can be purchased at any travel agency.
If you decide to go on your own, you won’t be able to use public tuk-tuks, they don’t come here. The only available transport is a taxi.
Those who decide to drive their own car or bike should head south from Pattaya along the Sukhumvit Highway. First you will pass, and after a 15-minute drive there will be a sign for Wat Yansangwararam. Following the sign, you turn left and go straight to the fork. Then there are two options:
- Drive straight to Wat Yan temple.
- Turn right and go to Golden Buddha Mountain.
It is difficult to get lost on this road because there are signs everywhere.
Map
On this map I have marked the location of the Wat Yan temple complex and the Golden Buddha Mountain.
A large rock carving of Buddha and one of Pattaya's most famous landmarks.
What I will say at the very beginning: If you order a taxi, it is important not to confuse, because... for Thais, the “Golden Buddha” is the one that The Golden Buddha Mountain is called Khao Chi Chan.
There are almost always a lot of tourists here, from all countries of the world: Thailand, China, Russia. And the Golden Buddha Mountain is included in many tourist routes and complex excursions.
For me, the most interesting thing was to learn that the mountain is directly related to the US-Vietnam war.
More precisely, in this war, Thailand supported the United States (more precisely, it simply did not resist it), it was then that Pattaya began to turn from a fishing village into a popular tourist destination.
And this very mountain was blown up to obtain stone for the construction of American military bases. Well, at some point the wise Thai king intervened and banned all this.
In 1996, it was decided to make a rock image of Buddha on the mountain as a symbol of peace. Interestingly, 1/3 of all gold was collected by local residents! Religious symbols are highly revered in Thailand.
It’s also interesting that the Buddha was cut out with a laser over the course of 2 days, which is why it looks so smooth and neat. 
There is a nice park around the image itself, where you can walk for about 15 minutes (it consists of 2 paths leading to the Buddha), the park is well-groomed, interesting, but very small.
Few people know, but literally 100 meters from the Golden Buddha Mountain you can ride elephants. It's difficult to spot this place, so it's best to ask the locals. Prices are the same as everywhere else - 300 baht per ride ($10), to feed an elephant, you just need to buy a bunch of bananas for 50 baht ($1.2).
Also nearby is a tribe of women with long necks, but it’s better to ask how to get to them on the spot, it’s actually along the back streets along the paths - a normal person wouldn’t even think that there is some kind of attraction there. But you are not going to a cafe, but to a wild tribe.
Golden Buddha Mountain on the map and how to get there
Unfortunately, public transport does not go there, so you can take a taxi, or you can take an organized excursion. It will include several places nearby and I think this is the best solution. It’s not very interesting to travel here on your own for a long time and it’s better if they take you around all the surrounding areas.
Golden Buddha Mountain - reviews
To be honest, I expected more. Everything looks much more interesting in photographs than in life. In fact, it is hot there, very dusty from the large number of tourist buses, and noisy from the Chinese. And against the background of all this, nothing is felt. Children are not interested there, adults also have nothing to do for more than 15 minutes, so it’s worth going only in passing or as part of an excursion, when they will show you Wat Yang, the Chinese Temple, Silver Lake, and maybe even take you to the military beach for a few hours.
You can stop by on the way to, but you are unlikely to have time to fully explore all the previous ones and also Nong Nuchu.
Oh, by the way, I once went there after sunset, hoping that it would be beautifully illuminated at night. No, at night it is completely dark there.
And another piece of advice if you are driving yourself - I once drove along small roads from Pattaya to the Golden Buddha Rock - there is really local flavor there, but it takes a lot of time, because... bad roads. But more on that in a separate article.
To see the largest Buddha image, you should go to the Golden Mountain (Khao Chi Chan), which is located south of Pattaya. This complex is located 15 kilometers from the city and is a local celebrity. The dimensions of the Buddha are enormous - the height is 160 meters, and the width at the level of the Buddha’s knees is 70 meters. There is a legend that part of the relics of Buddha is kept in the chest, in the middle of the figure.
The image was created in 1996 in honor of the fiftieth anniversary of Bhumibol's accession to the throne. To implement such a grandiose project, laser technology was used.
The design itself was carved into the rock in just two days, and filling it with gold leaf took several months. The entire figure of Buddha is laid out with gold plates directly on the rock and he is depicted sitting in the lotus position.
The title of the image translates as “His Majesty Buddha is beautiful and chaste, like Maha Vachira (Great Wisdom).” Around this rock there are a large number of flowering plants and small pavilions for meditation.
Right next to the Khao Chin Chan rock are places for offerings and prayers, picturesque gardens and several lakes completely covered with blooming lotus. The royal family comes to this rock quite often to pray.
Golden Buddha Mountain in Pattaya
The history of the creation of this complex goes back to the Vietnam War. When this war was going on, Thailand supported the United States and provided territory for the construction of military bases. To build the base, stone was required, which was obtained by blowing up Mount Khao Chi Chan. This stone was also used in the construction of the road from Sattahila to Chachoengsao.
After the end of the war, blasting work did not stop, since many construction organizations needed the stone. Only in 1976, King Rama the ninth imposed a ban on the development of stone in this place.
In 1996, the children of King Rama the ninth began raising funds and building the largest rock image of Buddha. The company was headed by the king's son, Prince Maha Vajiralonkorn.
Absolutely every citizen of the country could participate in this project. It became the most grandiose in the entire history of the country. The cost of all work and materials was about three million dollars.
The entire territory of the Golden Buddha Mountain is under the patronage of the royal family, so here you can see the military guarding the entire territory and the image itself from thieves.
The atmosphere of the Golden Mountain Khao Chi Chan is filled with peace and sets every person up for contemplation and meditation.
How to get to Golden Buddha Mountain in Pattaya
You can get there by the same road as to Nong Nooch Park, just a little before reaching it. Nearby is the temple complex “Wat Yansangwararam”.
Our plans for today are to visit Golden Buddha Mountain in Pattaya. For Thais this is a sacred place. The largest, apparently, rock image of Buddha was built there. It will also be interesting for us because of the unique beauty of the surrounding nature. It was created quite recently, in 1996. Thailand then celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of the reign of its King Bhumibol Adulyadej IX. The figure of the saint, whose height is 160 meters, and the width of the Buddha’s closed legs at the knees is seventy, was carved into the rock in just two days using laser technology.
After the Buddha image was erected on grief Khao Chi Chan, the resort town of Pattaya, which is located 15 km from it, has become not only a tourist center, but also a place of worship for the Thais themselves. They expressed their loyalty to the King and religious awe of the Buddha by decorating the mountain with gold leaf. This is the only precedent in the entire Buddhist world when the Golden Buddha Mountain, located in the open air, was decorated in this way. For tourists, a mountain with a Buddha image carved into its slope is called “ Golden Buddha Mountain", but officially its name is much more magnificent and solemn: "His Majesty Buddha is beautiful and chaste, like Maha Vachira".
For the Thais, such decoration truly became a religious sacrifice - for such a large image of the Golden Buddha they had to spend a total of about three million dollars in gold. Almost a third of this impressive amount for Thailand was collected by local residents. At the foot of the mountain there is a magnificent, lush oriental garden and two lakes, the surface of which is decorated with blooming lotuses.
The whole atmosphere of the park at Golden Buddha Mountain in Pattaya promotes peace and meditation. But this does not mean that everything is left to Divine Providence, which will protect the surrounding beauty. The site, which the Royal Family of Thailand considers their "home church", is protected by Thai guards. This park is open not only to royalty; ordinary Thais can also worship their deity here. For this purpose, many places have been organized where you can pray and make offerings. Tourists are also allowed there.
Oddly enough, but it is the tourists who are most numerous here. A line stretching towards Mount of the Golden Buddha, simply endless. Thais are calm about the endless photo sessions of Russians, Chinese, and Japanese. They believe that touching their deity can spiritually enrich everyone. However, you should not abuse their tolerance.
Video filming of Khao Chi Chan mountain from a quadcopter
Now we can say with full responsibility that we were in Pattaya - we laughed when we arrived at the mountain with the image of the golden Buddha. In Thai, the Golden Buddha Mountain is called Khao Chi Chan.
Khao Chi Chan Pattaya
Golden Buddha Mountain Khao Chi Chan is one of those places where, according to people, you must visit if you come to Pattaya.
About 20 years ago, an image of Buddha was carved in gold on an impressive rock (130 meters high). This idea cost $3 million. Now this place is carefully guarded. I wonder if there are people who want to pick out a piece of gold for themselves as a souvenir of their magical vacation?
Near the rock there is a decorative pond and a small park with gazebos. For 100 baht you can buy a frame with your photo against the backdrop of a golden Buddha on a rock.
Where can I order a transfer from the airport?
We use the service - KiwiTaxi
We ordered a taxi online and paid by card. We were met at the airport with a sign with our name on it. We were taken to the hotel in a comfortable car. You've already talked about your experience In this article.
Reviews about the attraction
There is nothing else to see here except the rock. Therefore, it is not worth coming specifically to Khao Chi Chan. Only if the rock with the golden Buddha is one of the places in your program for exploring the southern outskirts of Pattaya, such as Silverlake Vineyards, a tropical garden or a water park. You can also look here on the way to Military Beach or.
- 10 minutes is enough for a thoughtful inspection of the rock and photos.
- Opening hours: from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- The entrance is free.
Video from quadcopter
Bird's eye view video of the mountain with the rock carving of the Golden Buddha and the surrounding area.
How to get to Khao Chi Chan
You can only get there by bike or car. There is free parking, toilets and a couple of shops near the mountain.
There is no way to get there by public transport, since tuk-tuks do not go here. Theoretically, you can try to drive along Sukhumvit to the turn to Silverlake, and there find a taxi or a motorbike, since walking from Sukhumvit is not an option, the distance is about 5 km along a road without a sidewalk.
Mount Khao Chi Chan on the map
Coordinates: 12.766674, 100.956457
