Phuket Big Buddha

{{Short description|Buddha statue in Phuket, Thailand}}

{{use dmy dates|date=February 2019}}

{{Infobox monument

|monument_name = Phuket Big Buddha

|native_name = {{langx|th|พระพุทธมิ่งมงคลเอกนาคคีรี|translit={{nowrap|Phra Phutta Ming Mongkol Akenakiri}}|label=none}}

|image = The Big Buddha, Phuket.jpg

|caption = The Big Buddha, photographed from the frontside, bottom of the stairs.

|location = Wat Kitthi Sangkharam, Karon, Meaung, Phuket, Thailand

|designer =

|type = {{ubl|Buddha statue|Maravijaya Attitude}}

|material = Concrete, covered with white marble

|length =

|width =

|height = {{convert|45|m|ft}}

|begin = 2002

|complete = 2014

|open =

|dedicated_to = Gautama Buddha

|map_image =

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|lat =

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|extra =

|website = https://www.mingmongkolphuket.com/Index

}}

Phuket Big Buddha, or The Great Buddha of Phuket, is a seated Maravija Buddha statue in Phuket, Thailand. The official name is Phra Phutta Ming Mongkol Eknakiri ({{langx|th|พระพุทธมิ่งมงคลเอกนาคคีรี}}; {{RTGS|phra phuttha ming mongkhon eknakhakhiri}}), shortened to Ming Mongkol Buddha. Sitting atop Nakkerd Hill (also spelt Nagakerd) near Chalong, construction began in 2004. Expansion of the base was ongoing as of 2015.{{cite web|url=https://www.phuket101.net/phuket-big-buddha/|title=Phuket Big Buddha|first=Willy|last=Thuan|date=13 December 2017|website=Phuket 101}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.phuket-big-buddha.com/|title=Phuket Big Buddha Chalong Phuket Thailand|website=www.phuket-big-buddha.com|access-date=15 February 2019}} By 2017, 80 percent of the project had been completed.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nationthailand.com/detail/Travel_log/30324191|title=Phuket's finest viewpoint at the "Big Buddha"|website=The Nation|language=en|access-date=2019-02-23|archive-date=23 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190223074335/http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/Travel_log/30324191|url-status=live}} It is the third-tallest statue in Thailand behind only the Great Buddha of Thailand and Luangpho Yai.

The Buddha statue depicts Gautama in a sitting position (Maravichai: มารวิชัย) and is {{convert|45|m|ft|abbr=off}} tall and {{convert|25.45|m|ft|abbr=off}} wide. It is made of concrete and covered with Burmese white marble. Facing towards Ao Chalong Bay the statue is the main Buddha of the Wat Kitthi Sankaram temple (Wat Kata). The statue was declared the "Buddhist Treasure of Phuket" by Somdet Phra Yanasangwon, the Supreme Patriarch of Thailand, in 2008.

The statue cost 30 million baht (approx. US$950,000 in February 2019),{{Cite web |url=http://www.countrycurrencyrates.com/en/convert/THB/USD/30000000 |title=Country Currency Rates |website=countrycurrencyrates.com |access-date=28 February 2019}} sourced primarily from donations.{{Cite web|url=http://www.phuket.com/magazine/big-buddha.htm|title=Phuket Big Buddha - History & Construction of a Giant Buddha|website=phuket.com|language=en-US|access-date=15 February 2019}} It was built legally in a national conserved forest with the approval of Thai Royal Forest Department.

File:Big Buddha (3382030422).jpg