Phuket’s Big Buddha, one of the most popular tourist sites on the island, has been closed pending an investigation into alleged illegal construction.
The Big Buddha complex in the Nak Kerd hills above Kata and Chalong was ordered to suspend all activities, pending the outcome of an ongoing investigation. The probe comes in the aftermath of a devastating landslide that claimed 13 lives on August 23.
In the wake of the tragedy, which also injured several people, left countless others displaced, and damaged more than 50 homes, local residents filed a complaint with Karon Police.
The complaint alleged that construction at the Big Buddha complex, which has gone unchecked for years, had caused deforestation which meant the hill was unprotected during torrential rainfall, ultimately resulting in the fatal landslide.
According to a Thai PBS World report, police officers have erected “Stop” and “No Entry” signs at the entrance to the Big Buddha temple, under orders from the Phuket Sangha Office.
Phuket’s chief monk had ordered the temple’s abbot to suspend all building work immediately, after officials from the Forest Department launched an investigation into construction at the complex.
The Big Buddha is one of the island’s most popular tourist attractions and listed in many guidebooks is a “must visit” while in Phuket. The site offers 360-degree views of the island and was declared “Phuket’s Buddhist treasure” by the Supreme Patriarch of Thailand in 2008.
SOURCE: Thai PBS World
