Wat Phra Thong

Wat Phra Thong is a historic Buddhist temple in Thep Krasattri Subdistrict, Thalang District, Phuket. It is renowned for its half-buried golden Buddha image, Luang Pho Phra Thong, with only the upper half visible above ground. Located on Thep Krasattri Road (Route 402), the temple houses a small museum and is one of Phuket's most revered religious sites, associated with local legends and the 1785 Burmese invasion.

Visitors can expect a compact, active temple compound centered on the venerated half-buried Buddha image housed in the main chapel. The grounds include an ordination hall, smaller shrines, and a museum displaying artifacts, ceramics, and items related to the temple's history and the Thalang area. The setting is quiet and low-rise, surrounded by local community buildings, with areas for merit-making, photography outside the chapel, and browsing the museum exhibits.

Wat Phra Thong is linked to a local legend where a boy tethered a buffalo to a protruding gold top, fell ill, and the buried Buddha was discovered. Historical accounts associate the temple with the Burmese invasion of Thalang in 1785, when Burmese troops attempted to excavate the image but were reportedly unable to move it. The temple has since been a center of local history and houses artifacts reflecting Phuket's past.

The half-buried Buddha, Luang Pho Phra Thong, is highly revered by Phuket residents and Thai Buddhists, believed to be sacred and protected by supernatural forces that prevented its removal. The temple remains an active Buddhist religious site for merit-making, prayers, and festivals, and its museum preserves cultural heritage of the Thalang community.