Attractions: Wat Phra Thong

Wat Phra Thong is a very old temple in Thalang. The name translates to ‘Golden Buddha Image Temple’ and the temple itself is a big attraction due to the incredible legend behind it.

Legend has it that a very long time ago in Thalang, a boy tied the rope of his buffalo to a piece of wood sticking out of the pasture ground. It turns out that the piece of wood sticking out of the ground was actually a ‘finial’, the conical shape at the top of a massive Buddha image almost entirely buried. It was a fatal mistake as the boy and his buffalo both became ill and soon died.

Over the years, many people tried to remove the statue only to be attacked by swarms of hornets or fire ants. Finally in 1750, a monk from Sukhothai convinced the villagers to build a temple around the half buried Buddha image. The original Buddha head was covered with a new image, and today remains in near perfect condition.

The grounds of Wat Phra Thong consist of several temples and a small museum that features artifacts from the tin mining era, mostly given by locals. It is a nice old temple, one that is frequently visited by locals and tourists alike who are attracted to the temple for its interesting story.

Wat Phra Thong is open daily from 8:00am - 5:30pm and the street that leads to the temple is just near the Thalang intersection. The temple entrance is not well indicated, but any local will be more than happy to tell you how to get there.