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ThailandDescription and is it worth visiting
Big Buddha Hill – one of two hills between central Pattaya and Jomtien. Tourists often confuse it with neighboring Pratamnak Hill, but they're different places: on Pratamnak, the main thing is the viewpoint with a view of the city, while here on Buddha Hill is the active temple Wat Phra Yai, also known as the Big Buddha Temple. This is the largest temple in Pattaya and arguably the main religious site of the resort.
The temple is arranged unusually: there's no large beautiful prayer hall with a golden tiered roof like in Bangkok or Chiang Mai. The prayer and offering areas are under ordinary roofs on columns and look modest. The most interesting part is at the top of the hill, reached by a staircase adorned with dragons (nagas). At the top, you'll find a huge golden statue of the seated Buddha, surrounded by many smaller statues depicting different stages of his path to enlightenment. Special attention deserves the "Emaciated Buddha" statue – it shows Prince Siddhartha during a period of strict asceticism and fasting before he attained enlightenment. This is a fairly rare image for Thai temples, and many tourists remember it as the most unusual.
In our opinion, architecturally, the temple can't be called outstanding compared to other Thai temples. But if you're vacationing in Pattaya and don't have a chance to see the beautiful temples in Bangkok or Chiang Mai, it's definitely worth a visit. Especially since it can be part of a great walk: you can visit both hills at once – first this one with the temple, then neighboring Pratamnak with its viewpoint. And on the way to the Big Buddha Temple, about 100 meters before it, there's a small Chinese (Taoist) temple, Wat Sam Sien, with a pond and a museum – you can check that out too.
Important to remember: this is an active temple, a place of faith. The same dress code applies as in all Buddhist temples: covered shoulders, no shorts or skirts above the knee. When entering the prayer halls themselves (even under shelters), you need to remove your shoes. Even though it's a popular tourist attraction, with tours and independent travelers coming here, the rules are enforced – you might be refused entry if dressed inappropriately.
🕐 Opening hours
The temple is open daily from 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM.
💵 Admission fee / ticket prices
Visiting the temple is free. Donations are welcome (usually 20–50 baht).
🚶 How to get there
The hill with the Big Buddha Temple is between central Pattaya and Jomtien, almost in the geographic center of the resort (Big Buddha Hill on the map). It's included in many city tours, but getting there on your own is also easy.
On foot: If you're staying near the hill – in the Pratamnak area, the northern part of Jomtien, or the southern part of central Pattaya – you can walk here. It's about 2 km from Walking Street to the temple.
By taxi (Grab, Maxim, Bolt): A ride from central Pattaya costs from 100 baht (2.99 USD).
By songthaew (minibus): The most budget option – 15 baht (0.45 USD). Use Organic Maps or Maps.me to easily navigate the route. Here's how:
- From central Pattaya: take a songthaew on the main beach road (Pattaya Beach Road) heading south and ride to the end – the intersection after Walking Street (end point on the map). There you can transfer to another songthaew to Jomtien (you'll need to pay another 15 baht) and get off on the road between the two hills, then walk 500 meters up. Or walk about 2 km from the intersection to the temple itself.
- From Naklua area: walk to North Pattaya Road (landmark – Terminal 21 mall and the dolphin statue), take a songthaew going south along Pattaya Beach Road, and follow the same plan.
- From Jomtien area: take a songthaew on Jomtien Second Road heading toward the center, get off between the hills (landmark – the turn to the hill), then walk 500 meters up.