Wat Muang Ang Thong

Located at Wat Muang temple in Ang Thong province, this statue is 92 m high and 63 m wide. Construction began in 1990 and was completed in 2008. It is painted gold and made of concrete. 
The Buddha is in the seated posture known as the Maravijaya Attitude.

The statue was built on the orders of Phra Kru Vibul Arjarakhun, the first abbot of Wat Muang temple, to commemorate King Bhumibol of Thailand. The statue was built thanks to donations from Buddhist devotees, considered an act of merit. The budget for the statue was around 104,200,000 baht. Not far from the statue is the Wat Muang temple. The exact origins of the temple are unknown, as the original temple was destroyed in the 17th century during the war with the Burmese, who invaded and pillaged the former Thai capital of Ayutthaya. The reconstruction of Wat Muang took a long time and was not completed until 1982, and eight years later work began on the 'Big Buddha', which was completed 18 years later. Nearby are other sculptures depicting the gods, the kings of Thailand and the events of the Siamese-Burmese war, as well as a park where lotus flowers grow.

Seen up close, this large seated Buddha is quite impressive.
Having travelled quite a distance before arriving at this spot, it was difficult to choose the time of arrival... so we found ourselves with the sun almost vertical, the worst time to take photos of such a large statue towering into the sky. Clearly, if we'd been there around 9am, the photos would have been much better.
Une petite estrade a été mise en place de façon à permettre aux fidèles de se recueillir et de toucher la main géante du Bouddha...
A small platform was set up to allow the faithful to meditate and touch the giant hand of the Buddha...

To find out where you stand

From Bangkok, the temple is around 125km away, less than two hours...