Giant Buddha statue heading for Pattaya

21 Mar 2011

A massive effigy of Lord Buddha will be arriving in Pattaya on Wednesday. The arrival of the portable statue is part of a nationwide fund raising tour for a temple in the country’s northeastern Chayapoom Province.

The statue is one of the biggest in a country where such effigies are ubiquitous and can be spotted on top of hills or in the grounds of the country’s ornate temples. Temple officials, monks and city authorities have organised a mass merit making ceremony to welcome the statue to Pattaya.

On Thursday, Thai and foreign residents as well as tourists can view the statue in the Bali Hai Port Area and observe the time-honoured Buddhist rite of making merit. The act is known as Tam Boon in Thai, and celebrants place lighted candles and joss sticks in front of the statue and give donations to attendant monks.

The arrival of the statue and the merit making event are expected to draw a large number of visitors and last week Pattaya City Hall officials met to hammer out the details of it. Deputy mayor Wirawat chaired the meeting in which it was decided that roads around Bali Hai would be closed from 00:00 on Thursday to facilitate the arrival of the Lord Buddha image.

The ceremony will begin at first light and will continue throughout the day. Due to the road closures and the expected large amount of visitors, there will be a shortage of parking spaces in the area.

More information about this colourful occasion is available from the Pattaya City Hall hotline on 1337.

Tags: Buddha statue Pattaya