the reclining buddha is one of the most famous buddha images in Thailand. it is located inside of the Wat Pho temple complex, and included in the 100 baht [$3 US] admission fee. in fact, most people visit Wat Pho with the sole intention of viewing the reclining buddha.
the statue is HUGE [15 meters high and almost 50 meters long] and I had quite a difficult time getting a picture that would show you the entire statue but was not blocked by the many many tourists milling around us trying to do the same.
the statue is housed in a building that felt a little bit like a coffin to me. the tourists enter the door by the buddha's head and walk all the way around, getting a 360 view of the statue. there is not a lot of extra space, due to large crowds and plenty of shrines, donation buckets, and ornate decoration.
I tend to get a little claustrophobic when I am jammed into a busy and enclosed space, but I think it's definitely worth seeing if you are in the area. I mean, how often do you have the chance to see a golden statue nearly half a length of a football field?
fun fact: when you Google "reclining," the term "reclining buddha" comes up fifth after sofas, chairs, loveseats, and sectionals.
