Wat Pra Tong
Phuket is abdundant with temples created decades ago. But the oldest temple is the Wat Pra Tong or the Pra Tong Temple. The Thais believe that the Wat Pra Tong was built during the days when Thalang was still recognized as the capital of Phuket.
Locals and tourists alike go to the Wat Pra Tong to see the main sight in this temple which is the golden Buddha. This Buddha was believed to be miraculous and mysterious at the same time.
A story about the Buddha had been circulating in Phuket hundreds of years now. It was said that this Buddha just simply sprang up long time ago. One day, a little boy tied his buffalo at the Buddha, thinking that it was actually a post. A few days later, the boy died. His father dreamt that his son was punished because of tying an animal to a sacred object.
During the era of Thao Thep Kasatri, the Buddha also became the country’s protector against the Burmese. The Burmese were after the sacred objects as well as slaves. However, they weren’t successful in getting the Golden Buddha even if they made hundreds of attempts. Miraculously, the Burmese left the slaves and the Gold Buddha because they were attacked by a swarm of hornets.
If you want to go to the Wat Pra Tong, simply head to the outskirts of the town called Thalang. Watch out for a traffic light where you can see a big sign that would lead you to the Pra Tong Temple.