Phra Khru Wisutkitiyaphon, Abbot of Wat Kittisangkharam, said the popular hilltop site was only permitted to reopen temporarily to allow people to make merit during the New Year festival.
“The Big Buddha statue is not currently open to the public,” the abbot told The Phuket News today (Jan 6).
“The committee and I decided that people should only be allowed to visit to make merit during the New Year period, specifically from Dec 31 to Jan 3. It was closed again on Jan 4, and there is no set reopening date yet,” he confirmed.
However, the Phra Phuttha Ming Mongkol Sattha 45 Foundation, which oversees the Big Buddha site, posted no public announcements that the site had reopened.
The foundation, headed by Suporn Vanichkul, also did not post any photos evidencing that the site had been reopened to visitors ‒ despite unofficial photos posted online by visitors themselves, and while The Phuket News has been given only verbal assurances that the site had been allowed to reopen, albeit temporarily.
The confirmation follows ongoing legal proceedings linked to the deadly landslide that struck Kata in August 2024, as well as unresolved administrative requirements for the site’s lawful operation.
The abbot explained that although permission had previously been granted by the Phuket branch of the Royal Forest Department, further steps were still required before the site could legally reopen.
“We received permission from the Phuket Forest Department last year, but we still need to wait for the committee and for relevant documents to be properly submitted before it can be opened legally,” he said.
In addition to the legal process, the abbot said the prolonged closure of the site had resulted in physical deterioration, making it unsuitable for public access.
“Actually, we also need to close for renovations because the site has deteriorated and become dirty after being closed for a long time,” he said.
“This makes it unsuitable for public use. Therefore, we need more time to complete renovations and to discuss the matter with the committee. That is why it remains closed.”
As previously reported by The Phuket News, the Big Buddha viewpoint and temple complex have remained closed since a landslide triggered by heavy rain in the early hours of August 23, 2024, killed 13 people, injured 19 others and damaged dozens of homes in Kata.
The landslide sent soil cascading down the hillside into residential areas of Soi Patak 2, prompting residents to file legal action against the Phra Phuttha Ming Mongkol Sattha 45 Foundation.
In November last year, the Phuket Provincial Court approved a class action lawsuit filed by affected residents, formally accepting Civil Case No. 520/2568.
At the time, Rattanawangso Panrak, Abbot of Wat Kittisangkharam, confirmed that the viewpoint would remain closed until compensation had been paid to affected residents and the court case concluded.
The Phuket Bar Association, which has been providing legal support to residents since the incident, confirmed that negotiations between the foundation, temple representatives and affected communities have taken place, but no compensation settlement has yet been reached.
At last report, the court had not yet scheduled a date for judgement, with the case currently under investigation.