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Phuket Events &
Festivals
 This
annual festival is the most colorful and dramatic celebration by Phuket’s
Chinese-Thai majority and it takes place during the first nine days of
the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar, usually in late September
or early October. It has been an annual event since the first festival
was held in 1825 in the Kathu District of the island, when according to
legend a popular opera troupe on tour from China mysteriously all fell
seriously ill. The Vegetarian Festival originated as a healing event for
the ill-fated and promotes physical and spiritual recovery through ritual
practices that cleanse the body and mind while strengthening the faith,
it is observed with great reverence.
the Chinese
believe that great merit is acquired by inviting the nine gods of the
Vegetarian Festival to earth paying homage to them and in return receiving
their blessings and cures and then sending them back home with a dazzling
ceremony.
 The
object is to purify the mind and body and demonstrate the strength of
their faith. During this period, devout Chinese Buddhists dress in white
attire, and eat no meat, eggs, milk, fish, garlic, or spices. They avoid
sex, gambling, swearing, killing animals, drinking alcohol, smoking, and
wearing jewelry. Amazing feats are performed by participants who are possessed
by spirits and or in a trance. They walk on burning coals, pierce tender
parts of their bodies with sharp or thorny instruments, climb a ladder
made of knives barefoot, and generally do such as might leave an ordinary
person dead or in critical condition. All this is done without any apparent
suffering, massive loss of blood, or other ill-effect. It is an astonishing
spectacle, but not recommended for the faint hearted, performed not by
actors but by the common citizenry. On the morning of the last day of
the Vegetarian Festival elaborate dragon and lion dances are held, along
with many mind-bending acts of self-mortification in front of the clock
tower in the center of Phuket Town. This frantic ceremony lasts into the
evening, as thousands of people clog the streets of Phuket setting off
great strings of firecrackers to bid a last and very noisy farewell to
the gods.
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 Held
annually on April 13, marks the traditional Thai New Year. The word Songkran
comes from the Sanskrit words for New Year and was probably inherited
along with Buddhism from India making its celebration one of the oldest
traditions in Thailand. During this auspicious celebration Thais traditionally
return home for family reunions, and visit temples, sprinkling water on
Buddha images in reverence. Meeting friends and sprinkling water on each
others' shoulders and hands is an act of wishing good luck.
 The
traditional gentle sprinkling of water in temples and homes is still practiced;
however, overzealous Thais and tourists alike have resorted to throwing
water at any passersby that dare to venture out of their hotel. It is
a splashy affair for all on that day, and generally a good way to beat
the heat in what is normally the hottest month of the year in Thailand.
Lately many revelers have taken to adding talcum powder or flour to the
water. The victims of this high spirited affair get a real whitewash.
Remember this date when you are in Phuket. Leave your
cameras and anything likely to suffer water damage behind in your hotel
room, because you will get wet.
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Falls on the 11th of April, which is incorporated into
part of the Songkran Festival or the Thai New Year, the Department of
Fisheries has declared it as National Fisheries Day. Baby sea-turtles
are released into the sea at various beaches around Phuket. As the numbers
of sea-turtles have been drastically reduced over the years this government
sponsored program is hoped to both increase the number of turtles and
increase public awareness about the importance of conserving and protecting
this endangered species.
These are held twice annually, once before the monsoon
and once after it. They usually occur in the middle of the 6th and 11th
month of each year. During the 3-day event, sea gypsies are grounded from
working. Merry-making on liquor, singing, chanting and participating in
the famous ‘Rahm Rong Ngeng’ dance are all part of this auspicious
celebration. It is an exorcism of sort. An elaborate boat called a "prahu"
is built of wood. Each sea gypsy puts in personal items like fingernails
and clippings of hair, while little doll effigies of sailors holding swords,
spears, and guns man the deck. The whole boat is then ceremonially set
adrift, the purpose being to drive sorrow and suffering from the gypsies'
midst. The Chao Nam or Sea Gypsies, at Rawai and Sapam set their boats
adrift on the evening of the 13th; those at Koh Sirey on the 14th; and
those at Lam Lah (at the north end of Phuket) celebrate on the 15th.
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 Is
scheduled for May. This is one of the more popular international sports
events held annually on the island. It was first held in 1989, and since
then the news of the challenging scenic route covering landscapes and
stunning sea views, the prize money, and a chance to spend a splendid
holiday in Phuket, have drawn a growing number of international marathon
runners and those who follow the sport.
Added to this spectacle is a 10Km mini-marathon that
is broken into age groups from the very young to those over sixty. The
beginning and ending venue is at Saphan Hin Park in Phuket Town.
 The
origins of this of this charming evening are not clear but it is the most
beautiful of Thai celebrations. One legend has the festival beginning
in the 13th century Sukhothai period when a young princess floated a small
boat laden with candle and incense downstream past a pavilion where her
husband was entertaining friends. It has grown to be one of the country’s
most enchanting festivals.
As the full moon rises, Thais fill tiny floral boats
with candles and incense and launch them into the rivers, canals, ponds,
and the sea to wash away sins and to bless love affairs. Join in the fun:
buy a kratong from a vender, light the taper and incense, place a small
coin and a few hairs plucked from the head, say a prayer and send it on
its way on a pond or waterway. The celebration begins about 7.30 PM. Thai
women dress in beautiful traditional Thai dresses
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An annual yacht race on December 5th in honor of His
Majesty the King of Thailand. First held in 1987, to celebrate the 5th
12-year cycle of the Kings birth. More than 100 racing yachts from all
over the world compete in different classes, in what has now become Asia’s
premier yachting event. The competition features a one week series of
races between Nai Harn Beach and Phi Phi Island.
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