Phuket Vegetarian Festival 2016 schedule announced

PHUKET: The controversial Phuket Vegetarian Festival, one of the most widely-celebrated events in Phuket each year, is being held from October 1-9 at various shrines and locations throughout the island.

Held in the ninth month of the lunar calendar, the festival features a host of events and draws large crowds to Phuket each year (story here).

The Phuket City Municipality has announced the following schedule of events for festival-goers:

Street processions:

Oct 2: Choor Su Gong Naka Shrine
Oct 3: Sapam Shrine, Bang Ku Shrine
Oct 4: Samkong Shrine
Oct 5: Ban Tha Rue Shrine, Jeng Ong Shrine
Oct 6: Bang Neow Shrine
Oct 7: Jui Tui Shrine
Oct 8: Kathu Shrine, Yokkekeng Shrine
Oct 9: Sui Boon Tong Shrine

Fire-walking:

Oct 6:
8:00pm: Jeng Ong Shrine, Jui Tui Shrine, Ban Tha Rua Shrine, Sapam Shrine, Yokkekeng Shrine
9:00pm: Tae Gun Shrine, Hai Yian Geng Shrine

Oct 7:
8:45pm: Tai Houd Tong
9:00pm: Bu Seng Tong

Oct 8:
2:00pm: Ban Don
8:00pm: Bang Niao, Pasak, Samkong, Ton Sai Waterfall, Ban Muang Mai, Cherng Talay, Chalong

Oct 9:
3:00pm: Kathu Shrine
7:30pm: BangKu Shrine

Bladed ladder climbing

Oct 7: Samkong and Bang Niao shrines

“On the last day of the festival, all participating shrines will stage street processions to Saphan Hin between 6 pm to midnight to bid the gods a ‘grand farewell’ before they proceed heavenward,” says Phuket City Mayor Somjai Suwansupana.

A special prayer ceremony will also be held on October 2 at Saphan Hin for the good fortune of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

Ten rules for the vegetarian festival:

1. Maintain personal cleanliness
2. Use separate, clean kitchen utensils and do not share with others not participating
3. Wear white
4. Maintain polite behavior
5. Abstain from eating meat or other animal-based products
6. Abstain from sexual activities
7. Abstain from consuming alcohol
8. People in mourning should not take part
9. Pregnant women must refrain from watching festival rituals
10. Menstruating women should not attend festival rituals.

— Sukawin Tanthavanich