Khao Chi Chan

Khao Chi Chan was a working limestone quarry, and by the early 1990s the blasting had cut a large flat face into the hillside. In 1996, to mark the fiftieth anniversary of Rama IX's accession, a project was undertaken to turn that face into a Buddha image: the outline of a seated Buddha in the Sukhothai style, 109 metres tall and seventy wide, was cut into the rock using laser-guided drilling and then inlaid with gold, which both created the monument and put a permanent end to the quarrying. It is claimed as the largest Buddha image in the world by some measures, though the comparison depends on what is being counted. It is viewed from a landscaped park at the base with a lake in front, and the whole visit is standing and looking - there is no climbing to it and nothing else at the site. Late afternoon light hits the face best.

What you actually see

• The cliff figure - 109 metres of Sukhothai-style Buddha cut into rock and gilded.
• The quarry face - the flat surface the blasting created and the carving used.
• The park - the landscaped ground and lake in front of the cliff.
• The 1996 project - made for the fiftieth anniversary of Rama IX's accession.

When to go

November to February; late afternoon, when the light is on the face. It is a twenty-minute stop, usually combined with the Sanctuary of Truth or Silverlake nearby.

Honest expectations

A twenty-minute stop - you look at a cliff and leave. No shade in the viewing park. The size claim depends on the comparison used. Free with donation boxes.

Nearby

Silverlake vineyard is adjacent; Pattaya and the Sanctuary of Truth are north.