Wat Plai Laem, Koh Samui
Wat Plai Laem, Koh Samui, stands a short distance around the coast from the Big Buddha, on Samui's north-east shore. Its buildings sit on platforms in an artificial lake, so the whole complex is approached across bridges and reflected in the water - which is what makes it photograph so well.
Wat Plai Laem, Koh Samui
Wat Plai Laem stands a short distance around the coast from the Big Buddha, on Samui's north-east shore. Its buildings sit on platforms in an artificial lake, so the whole complex is approached across bridges and reflected in the water - which is what makes it photograph so well.
The centrepiece is a large white figure of Guanyin, the Chinese goddess of mercy, shown with eighteen arms. A laughing Budai sits opposite her across the water. The ordination hall between them carries dense modern murals of the Buddha's life. The mix of Chinese and Thai iconography is deliberate and reflects the island's Chinese-Thai community.
The temple is working and free to enter; a donation buys a bag of feed for the fish in the lake. Covered shoulders and knees are expected, as at any Thai temple.
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