Wat Samret

Wat Samret Temple is not on the Samui tourist safari trail and it has to be said, the Samui safari trail can get a little busy. For some of us it is nice to be able to take a little detour from the beaten path without a troop of eager tourists on your tale with cameras at the ready.

Besides having fewer tourists, Wat Samret has a unique temple behind the main temple. Here you will find 80+ Buddha statues all in one small room. The odd one out is the large Reclining Buddha, all the rest are in the same posture of Calling the Earth to Witness. In Thai Buddhism this posture is known as Subduing Mara, the same posture as the Big Buddha and most statues you see on Samui.

The Wat is definitely worth a visit just to see this feature. Also the highly decorative, unique monk gravestones linked together with white string bonding there spirits together with the temple and Buddha. Coming from Lamai, take the second left off the ring road after Hua Thanon village. If you see the Mummified Monk on your left, you've gone too far.