Have you ever seen a 100 tons, solid gold Buddha statue?!!!...no???...me either, coz I don’t think one exists in the world. But you’re in luck!...there IS a five and a half tons, solid gold Buddha statue right here in Bangkok. REALLY!..no joke!...this Buddha image is located at “Wat Traimitr” (pronounced Trai-mit) , in the Chinatown or “Yaowaraj” (pronounced Yao-Wa-Rard) area.
This Buddha image’s official name is Phra Sukhothai Traimitr, and is one of Thailand’s most famous Buddha images. He is 3 meters in height and weighs 5.5 tons, and all in solid gold!. The story behind his discovery is quite interesting, as he was first covered in plaster and appeared just like any other stucco Buddha images.

However, when he was being moved using a crane, some clumsy crane operator accidentally dropped him and the plaster cracked, thus revealing his golden secret. You see, he was originally covered in plaster during the 18th century, to prevent the invading Burmese from taking him to Burma. It would be quite ironic if that crane operator was Burmese himself (we have many Burmese migrant workers here in Bangkok).

You can go check out this amazing golden Buddha if you’re in the “Yaowaraj” area. The golden Buddha is discretely housed in a small shrine behind a larger shrine.
Right after entering the main entrance, you’ll be greeted by a worship area lined with Buddha images and lit incense. You can go in there and take pictures and/or pay respect to Lord Buddha. However, to get to the main attraction, walk down the small alley left of shrine where you’ll you see a booth to pay a small entry fee. The shrine is next to the currency exchange booth, just go right up the steps as the sign indicates .