Thailand's 6 biggest Buddhas and a humongous 3-headed elephant

The world's greatest sculptures and monuments come in all shapes and sizes. The weird variety includes the Headington Shark in Oxford, England -- a 7.6-meter-long shark that seems to have plummeted from the skies into an ordinary terraced home.

Or there's the endless spout of water gushing from the Magic Tap of Aqualand in Cadiz, Spain, and the Giant Thumb of Paris, which sticks out near the Arche de la Défense.

There are geographic icons too, including Rio de Janeiro’s 40-meter-high Christ the Redeemer, Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square, London, and even the vaguely unsettling Merlion of Singapore.

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The largest statues in the world, however, are all images of Buddha, an Asian-dominated list that includes the 128-meter-high Spring Temple Buddha of Lushan China (built in 2002); the 116-meter Laykyun Setkyar of Monywa, Myanmar (2008); and the 110-meter Ushiku Daibutsu of Ushiku, Japan (1995).

Given its predominately Buddhist culture, Thailand is home to a number of large Buddha images, including Bangkok’s 46-meter-long Reclining Buddha in Wat Po. Here, we highlight Thailand’s six tallest: plus, just for fun, a giant three-headed elephant. 

1. Great Buddha of Thailand, Ang Thong

The highest statue in the Kingdom (and ninth in the world) is located in the Wat Muang monastery in Ang Thong province, approximately 140 kilometers north of Bangkok.

Known in Thai as Phra Buddha Maha Nawamin, it stands 92 meters high and 63 meters wide, and took 18 years to build, opening to the public in 2008.

Made of cement, the exterior is painted gold. As well as the Great Buddha, the temple is also home to “Hell Park," a macabre group of statues that graphically depict the terrible fate that awaits sinners.