Wat Bang Riang, Phang Nga
A hilltop temple above the Phang Nga hinterland, with a huge seated Buddha and a bronze Guanyin.
Wat Bang Riang, Phang Nga
Wat Bang Riang stands on a hilltop in Thap Put district, inland from Phang Nga town, and is visible for a long way across the surrounding country. Three things share the summit: a very large gilded seated Buddha, a tall bronze figure of Guanyin on a separate terrace, and an ornate chedi holding relics.
The combination of Thai and Chinese imagery reflects the mixed community of the area, and the setting does the rest - the hill stands alone, so the terraces look out over rubber and palm plantations to the karst ridges of Phang Nga in every direction.
It receives very few foreign visitors and is reached by a steep access road from the highway between Phang Nga and Surat Thani.
- Wat Tham Ta Pan, Phang Nga — A cave temple built into a karst cliff, with a walk-through depiction of the Buddhist hells.
- Ao Phang Nga National Park — The drowned karst bay of limestone towers, sea caves and mangrove channels between Phuket and Krabi.
- Sa Nang Manora Forest Park, Phang Nga — A moss-covered rainforest gorge with a chain of small waterfalls and pools, just outside Phang Nga town.
