WE CANNOT stay away from the Big Buddha on Phuket for long and it seems the island's new governor already feels the same attraction.

Dr Preecha Ruangjan, 55, flew to Phuket on Saturday. He spent Monday, his first day at work, in his office at Provincial Hall, absorbing many tasks and meeting the staff.

Before that, though, on Sunday, almost immediately after arriving on the island, he made his way to Chalong and up Nakkerd Hill to pay his respects to the iconic Big Buddha.

And the new governor will be back with the Big Buddha on Thursday, when a ceremony is held at 4.30pm to commemorate the arrival of a huge new bell.

Dr Preecha has most recently been Governor of Phichit, in the lower central-northern region. Phuket presents fresh challenges.

If he is seeking inspiration to make the right decisions about Phuket's future, then he has come to the right place.

The Big Buddha, so we have been told, is full of inspirational good ideas.



We went to the Big Buddha on Monday and the big new bell was already in place at the base, attracting a steady stream of tourists.

Most, especially the children, sounded it three times for good luck.

At the top of the hill, dressed as always in white, Suporn Vanichkul, president of the construction foundation, was busy with visitors.

He found a wheelchair for one disabled day-tripper, and told others, in front of historic photographs, about the statue's beginnings.

And he told Phuketwan how much he was looking forward to Thursday's ceremony and the governor's second visit in his first week.

On display now where visitors can see and touch them are the Big Buddha's large wide-open eyes, two beautiful shiny peepers that will be placed in their permanent position in the next big ceremony.

The eyes should glint with every sunrise because the top of the hill is, as Khun Suporn says, always filled with mee kwam suk (happiness.)

Up here is a photographer's delight, no matter what the weather is like.

The mood of the big guy seldom changes, and the sky's sweeping lighting only makes the statue more imposing throughout most days.

The views across both sides of the island are, of course, superb.

If you have not been to the top, take a look at the photo album with this article.

Or maybe if you have already visited you will see something in the photos that you haven't previously seen.

There's always something doing at the top, and the workers are usually only too happy to have their photo taken.

We found an artisan working quietly in a shed on a smaller model of the big buddha, too. Where will it go? We wonder.

An amazing number of tourists are streaming up the hill each day. It's surprising how . . . well, large . . . the Big Buddha looms already in Phuket's tourism future.

Khun Suporn says gifts from overseas visitors alone total more than 1.5 million baht a month.

We found one white jade tile donated, so the inscription says, by Harry Potter.

And we though we saw Brad and Ange zipping up to visit the BB in a yellow jeep with the top down.

But there were no kids in the back, so perhaps we were mistaken. Maybe next time.

Sunny Day Photo Album
After years of construction, Phuket's Big Buddha is now on view, without scaffolding. In Phuket City, the annual Big Buddha carnival is being held. Next week, atop the Big Buddha hill, the big bell will arrive.
Big Buddha Fair, Big Bell To Toll