Many people can count the amount of gold they own, well, on one finger. Add in earrings, necklaces, and a few bracelets, then maybe you’re up to a couple of ounces. But imagine that you’re doing a bit of reorganizing around the house and discover 5 tons of gold sitting in your storage room.
Sound unlikely? Well maybe so, but this is exactly what happened in the case of the now-famous Golden Buddha of Wat Traimit in Bangkok.
How can an entire Wat-full of monks not know that over $200 million in gold is squirreled away in their storage room? The details are sketchy, but it seems to go something like this: At some point in the past, possibly the 18th Century, in order to prevent the priceless Buddha statue from being stolen by an invading army, it was completely plastered over, painted, and inlaid with pieces of colored glass.
The strategy worked – perhaps too well. Because it wasn’t until 1957, when the old stucco statue was being moved from a storeroom, that a crane operator accidentally dropped it, chipped off a piece of plaster, and exposed the lustrous gold underneath. This lucky incident probably had less to do with the crane operator’s karma than it did with the fact that he was lifting 10,000 pounds (4,500 kilos) of gold instead of a chunk of carved plaster. 
Either way, it was certainly a fortuitous incident and Wat Traimit’s Buddhist monks won the lotto that day.
Wat Traimit isn’t the largest or most ornate temple in Bangkok, but if you visit the city, make sure to wander over toward Chinatown, and don’t miss the Golden Buddha.
Happy Trails,
James & Terri
Last updated October 10, 2017
GALLIVANCE 
Wow, that is crazy! Imagine if the crane operator hadn’t dropped it?!
Lynn, I hope that the crane operator got a bonus instead of a poor job performance review. Given the weight it’s lucky the crane didn’t flip. ~ James
I’d be happy finding a pound of gold in my storage shed! –Curt
Curt, until all those creepy spiders in my storage shed start spinning gold webs, I think I’m out of luck on the gold . ~James
You and me too, James. I can’t even find a goose to lay a golden egg or two for me. 🙂 –Curt
I feel quite bedazzled! 🙂 🙂
Jo, I’ve seen lots of statues of Buddha covered in gold leaf, but a statue of this size made entirely of gold is truly awesome. ~ James
Since all the gold ever mined in world history would only fill two swimming pools, finding five tons of the stuff would definitely make your day.
This is an interesting statistic Joe, and it got me to thinking (It’s blowing a gale here in Galway, so there’s not much else to do. ). If I figured it right, five thousand pounds of gold is a only bit over 4 cubic feet! So your pool figure may be correct. Thanks for a fun bit of trivia. ~ James
Hey James, Four cubic feet is a lot of gold! I have also read that all the gold ever mined in world history would only make up 1/3 the volume of the Washington Monument. It is a rare commodity indeed.
Life is full of surprises!
No one knows this better than these Thai monks. ~ James
I love these stories of secret riches in unsuspecting places. Nicely told, too (love the first line!!) Thanks – Susan
Thanks Susan. I guess if you’re a Buddhist it doesn’t matter if you’re praying to a gold image or one made of mud. But I’ve never seen nearly a quarter billion in gold, so I was impressed. ~ James
You have the best stories I have to say. Can you imagine the look on the monks faces when they realized what they had. Or perhaps better the look on the crane operator’s face when he dropped it? Talk about a bad news good news kind of situation!
Sue this is one of those almost unbelievable stories that was begging to be told. When we visited the temple was crowded with people and I wondered how many appreciated (or cared) that they were sitting in front of a king’s ransom in gold. ~ James
This is terrific… very interesting information, that even though we have been there, did not know about. Love the photos too.
Peta
Peta, Bangkok is a wacky place, but it has so many unique sights that I never grow tired of visiting. I’m a bit surprised that this temple doesn’t get more attention. Maybe with all that gold sitting around they don’t mind. ~ James
Great set of photos! I love the gold :)! Bye. Kamila
Thanks Kamila. If you’re partial to gold this temple is the place for you. ~ James
Thanks for dropping by our blog and for re-blogging our post. ~James@Gallivance.net