Big Buddha Image (Phra Phuttharup Patima Santayaphirom Satuek Udom Ratnimitmunin)

Phra Phuttharup Patima Santayaphirom is a large standing Buddha image on the bank of the Mun River in Satuek district, Buriram, directly across from the district office. Rather than a full temple complex, it’s a single monumental image built as a local landmark — free to visit, with no fixed opening hours since it sits in open riverside parkland.

Experience

The image was built on 2 February 1983 to mark the Rattanakosin bicentennial — 200 years since Bangkok was founded as the capital in 1782. Thailand’s Supreme Patriarch gave it its full ceremonial name at the time: Phra Phuttharup Patima Santayaphirom Satuek Udomratsadorn Nimitmunin, which translates roughly to “the wise Buddha image that the people of abundant Satuek built together, to inspire rejoicing in peace.” Locals and visitors from neighbouring districts come to pay respects on major Buddhist holidays, when the local municipality and district office hold religious ceremonies and candlelit processions (wian thian) around the image.

The statue’s biggest annual moment comes during Satuek’s long-boat racing festival on the Mun River, when crowds gather at the image before and after races to make merit — it functions as the spiritual anchor point for the whole event, not just a photo stop.

Atmosphere & Timing

The image stands in Sao Chaloem Phrakiat 72 Phansa park, a stretch of riverside parkland rather than a walled temple compound, so there’s open space and river views rather than an enclosed shrine feel. In the dry season, roughly November to April, the wetlands along this stretch of the Mun River also draw migratory birds — a reason to linger beyond a quick photo.

Insider Tip: Time a visit around the long-boat racing festival if your schedule allows — the riverside atmosphere and the crowds paying respects give a much better sense of what the image means locally than a quiet weekday visit.

Watch out: There’s no shade shelter directly at the image itself — visit early morning or late afternoon in the hot season (March-May) rather than midday.

Practical

The Buddha image sits in Satuek district, Buriram — about 35 km northeast of Buriram town. View on Google Maps. Dress modestly and avoid pointing your feet toward the image when sitting nearby. If you’re covering more of the province, Buri Ram Bird Park makes a similar riverside-and-wetlife stop elsewhere in Buriram.