Festivals and Celebrations
Festivals, Celebrations and Local Life
The most famous festival in Phuket is the Vegetarian Festival. In 2008 the festival was in early October, and (like 2007) I tried to see as much as possible (see links below). Phuket is also a great place to be for Songkran (the "water throwing" festival / Thai New Year). Another popular festival is Loy Krathong, where people give thanks for water, and cast adrift their bad luck. This was on November 12th 2008. The dates for the vegetarian festival and Loy Krathong change every year as they are based on the lunar calendar. October and November are good months to come to Phuket :)
Recent events:
• Phuket Vegetarian Festival 2009 Photos
• Cultural Street Festival in Kathu Village
• OTOP Fair in Phuket Town
• Phuket Halal Expo
• Phuket Flower Fair
Recently: Phuket Bike Week - 3 days of big bikes and beachside concerts, 10 - 12 April 2009.
You also missed Songkran! 13th April every year! See Songkran 2009 - Patong Beach Phuket for Songkran photos! Ah well, see you next year...
Phuket Vegetarian Festival - My favourite thing in Phuket!
• Phuket Vegetarian Festival Introduction
• Phuket Vegetarian Festival 2009 Photos
• Phuket Vegetarian Festival 2008 Photos
• Vegetarian Festival 2008 Part 2
• Phuket Vegetarian festival Videos
• 2007 Vegetarian Festival Photos
The last 4 years during the festival, I went to get to see some of the ceremonies, took a lot of photos, and ate plenty of the great food on offer. I am not normally a veggie, but it can't hurt for a week or so!
• Vegetarian Festival Photos 2006
• Photos of Kathu Shrine - More Photos of Kathu Shrine
• Photos of Sam Kong Shrine and Vegetarian Food Stalls
My "local" is Kathu shrine, located in Baan Kathu. Sam Kong shrine is not too far from Tesco Lotus - loads of veggie food stalls in the Kathu/Sam Kong area during the festival. In Phuket town you find big shrines such as Jui Tui and Bang Neow which are very much the center of festivities.
Phuket Vegetarian Festival Dates 2009: October 18th - 26th
More Vegetarian Festival information and detailed schedules at:
www.phuketvegetarian.com
Songkran Festival (Thai New Year)
Songkran is the Thai New Year, a real mix of quiet prayer and water throwing mayhem. We tend to mix it up - a bit of quiet at the temple, a bit of water... on April 13th 2007 (apart from the water fights) we went to a turtle release ceremony at Mai Khao beach.
NEW! Songkran 2009 Photos!
• Songkran 2008 Photos
• Songkran - April 13th 2007
• My Songkran 2007 Blog
• Songkran 2006 in Phuket
• My Songkran 2008 Blog
• About Songkran
Loy Krathong
Every year, but dates vary according to the full moon. The date in 2007 was November 24th, in 2008 Loy Krathong was on November 12th. The main element of Loy Krathong is giving thanks to the goddess of water.
• Loy Krathong 2008 Photos
• Loy Krathong 2007 - Part 1 - Making our Kratong
• Loy Krathong 2007 Photos
• Loy Krathong 2006 in Phuket
Phuket Food Festival - March 19th to 28th 2008
The Phuket Food Festival is held at Saphan Hin in the south of Phuket City. Find a great variety of local food every day from 4:30pm until 11pm - fresh seafood, a demonstration of local delicacies, sales of OTOP products, cultural and contemporary performances and more.
I took a visit to the Food Festival - lots of photos here:
• Phuket Food Festival
You might have seen - February 19-22 - Phuket Blues Festival.
More Local Phuket Life
• Chalong Temple Fair
• Weekend Market
• A Walk around Old Phuket Town
• Local temples in Kathu
• Buddha Shelf & Shrine in our house
• A Funeral in our village
• Caged bird singing contest in Kathu Village
• Buying a House in Phuket
Other Phuket Festivals
There are a number of small local festivals in Phuket such as the Phuket Heroines Festival (celebrating the famous battle against the Burmese in 1785), Chinese New Year, the Old Phuket festival (which was cancelled for 2008 as the nation stays in a period of mourning for HRH Princess Galyani Vadhana, who passed away on January 2), the Por Tor Festival (the Chinese "hungry ghost" festival), there's Patong Carnival, the Phuket Gay Festival... Well, I hope over the next couple of years I'll have more time to visit some of these celebrations and get some photos.
Jamie's Phuket - The Real Phuket!
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Comments on "Festivals and Celebrations"
Which parade is the main one - with the people "hurting" themselves using ropes, needles i.e.? Thanks!
There is no single "main" parade/procession - they are every day during the last week of the festival. Each day has participants from different shrines. The one where I took photos was the procession for Kathu shrine (my "local").
Jamie - we are heading to Phuket for NYE 2009 ... we don't want to be with a bunch of crazy drink aussies but do want to safely be able to watch the madness and see the fireworks eat some fab food ... what do you recommend we do and where ?? We will be staying in Surin.
Well, on NYE I would say don't move around too much. Why not just stay there at Surin. The hotels will be sure to do fireworks and you can certainly have some good food. Last NYE we went up Buddha Mountain but it was a bit too quiet! We could see the fireworks at Karon Beach, but were way above them - I put a video on the weather blog here. This year I reckon we'll maybe meet some friends at a quiet beach somewhere and bring our own fireworks. Best fireworks will be in Patong which is where you will also find some bogans!
Dear Jamie,
Chanced upon your blog as i was reading up about Phuket.
Would like to ask you-do you have any idea when is Por Tor for 2009? I intend to visit this weekend for a short getaway, and laugh at me all you want, but i'm a little concerned about 'spirits'..
Also, has the weather been good enough for kayaking and boating?
Many thanks in advance!
Best,
Singaporean J
Hello there - as far as I am aware the Por Tor festival is happening right now, but it's not something bug and spectacular, just around the Chinese shrines and Chinese-Thai communities, mostly in the vicinity of Phuket Town. I should maybe go to the local shrine and see what's happening...
Thanks!
Has the weather been fine enough for a day of kayaking/island-hopping or would we be confined to indoor activities?
J
Check the latest Phuket weather:
http://www.phuketweather.net/
Hi Jaime!
I will be heading to Phuket on NYE 2009, touching down on 31st dec at 8pm!!
Where would be a good party place (safe also) & not too expensive?
-Fiona
NYE Party.. well, since you touch down 8pm, will be at least 9 before you get to your hotel. Where are you staying? Party for sure will be at Club Lime in Patong Beach.
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