Information and Directions:
Wat Chalong(วัดฉลอง) or Wat Chaithararam(วัดไชยธาราราม) to give it its official name is the best known and most visited temple on Phuket. The current temple dates back to the early nineteenth century(when it was rebuilt) but there is no record of when the original temple was built.
The temple buildings including a beautiful ubosoth and wihan are housed in extensive grounds that also include a well crafted stupor/chedi that contains a fragment of bone from the Buddha. There are lots of well crafted Buddha images as well as waxwork likenesses of the three revered monks that the temple is dedicated too, Luang Phor Chaem, Luang Phor Chuang and Luang Phor Kluam. The first two monks were famed for using herbal medicine to treat local people while the latter was a craftsman responsible for much of the work at the temple and who later became the Abbott.
Wat Chalong is about 8 kilometres South from Phuket town and is well signposted. There are no entry charges and there is ample parking.
GPS Co-ordinates: 7.845955 + 98.338096
Opinion:
If you are on the island of Phuket and in the vicinity then I would highly recommend a visit to Wat Chalong. The art work both inside and outside the temple buildings makes a trip very worthwhile. Plenty of photographic opportunities. This temple is popular with both Thais and foreign tourists and can be extremely busy.
Last Visited: July 2005
Editors note: My apologies unfortunately I do not have all of my photographs for this temple available at this time.
View Wat Chalong on a map of the area.
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