Big Buddha Photo Album Above
A BUDDHIST museum is to be built at the Big Buddha site atop a hill on Phuket amid claims and counter-claims about cash donations.
The Big Buddha has become one of Phuket's most popular attractions away from the beaches and reefs, attracting hundreds of visitors every day to the soaring 45-metre jade icon and the accompanying spectacular views.
But the building of the buddha has been accompanied by commercial outlets that have burgeoned along the once green six-kilometre road to the top from Chalong, in southern Phuket.
Suporn Wanichkul, president of the controlling Mingmongkol Faith 45 Foundation, says he wants to keep access to the Big Buddha free, although visitors have donated many millions of baht by sponsoring every jade tile and bucket of concrete.
He flatly rejects anonymous claims that some of the funds have been syphoned off and says that every baht can be accounted for.
''We've been very careful and the foundation can show how each single contribution has been spent,'' he said yesterday.
The Big Buddha had its beginnings in 2006 but, like the view from the top of 380-metre Nakkerd Hill, the project seems to be never ending.
Next part of the construction involves a single level museum in the present car park that will soar inside, atrium style, to four storeys. The foundation needs to raise money next for 600 tonnes of steel for the project, Khun Suporn says.
The design phase has been completed and construction is hoped to begin soon.
The Big Buddha was Phuketwan's Phuket Attraction of the Year for 2008.
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The Big Buddha is a beautiful project, and very fitting for Phuket.
I think the museum is a great idea too.
To further enhance the project, i'd like to see some beautiful night-time lighting so that the Buddha can shine out over Phuket at night.
There are two paradoxes that concern me though.
First, as reported by Phuketwan, the rampant greed of the illegal restaurants on the road up. How hard can it be to close these? It's not like they're hidden
Secondly, the vast majority of this project is being built by the Burmese. I find it ironic that they are allowed to build a holy statue yet are generally treated appallingly. Slaves and Egyptian pyramids spring to mind..........
Posted by Mr Man on March 13, 2011 13:45
Editor Comment:
The Burmese who worked on the Big Buddha were treated well, and Burmese on Phuket go to the BB in large numbers on special days. The foundation asks police to look the other way on these days. Generalisations are not possible. There are good employers and bad employers, good attitudes and bad attitudes. It's unwise to make assumptions.
The commercialisation is corruption at work.