Wat Laem Pho

Wat Laem Pho sits on the shore of Songkhla Lake, not the open sea — the temple occupies the tip of Ko Yo island, right beside the Tinsulanonda Bridge that carries traffic across the lake to the Songkhla mainland. Its reclining Buddha, built in 1994, stretches roughly 25 metres and is finished in gold, with the traditional 108 auspicious marks worked into the soles of its feet.

The reclining image is the reason most people stop here — it’s visible from the bridge approach and draws a steady trickle of visitors who otherwise wouldn’t detour onto Ko Yo. Older shrines and prayer halls stand nearby, reflecting a temple presence on this point of the island that predates the modern Buddha by well over a century. Lake water laps quietly at the shoreline rather than crashing in surf, and fishing rafts and shellfish farms — Ko Yo is known island-wide for its oyster and mussel beds — dot the calm water in view of the temple grounds.

Traffic noise from the bridge carries across the water, so this isn’t a silent retreat — it’s a working temple beside Songkhla’s busiest lake crossing. Early morning and late afternoon bring softer light for photos of the reclining Buddha against the water, and the temple is far less crowded than Ko Yo’s cafe strip a few hundred metres inland.

Insider Tip: Pair the visit with a walk or drive onto the Tinsulanonda Bridge itself — at roughly 2.6 kilometres across its two spans, it’s Thailand’s longest, and the view back at the reclining Buddha from the bridge beats the view from the temple grounds.

Entry is free, and the temple is open daily from 06:00 to 18:00. Ko Yo is a short drive from Hat Yai or Songkhla town, connected to the mainland by the bridge on both sides — no boat is needed to reach it. Dress modestly and bring sun protection; there’s little shade around the reclining Buddha itself.