Phuket Vegetarian Festival 2026

Phuket Vegetarian Festival

The Phuket Vegetarian Festival is a famous event in Phuket Town. It takes place every year in October and lasts for nine days. The festival is based on Chinese beliefs. People believe that not eating meat during the ninth lunar month brings good health and peace of mind.

During the festival, many people wear white clothes. They follow a strict vegetarian diet. They also avoid alcohol and try to think and act purely and calmly.

History of the Festival

No one knows the exact beginning of the festival. However, there is a popular story.

About 200 years ago, a Chinese opera group came to Phuket to perform. While they were there, many members became sick with malaria. At that time, malaria was very dangerous.

The group decided to stop eating meat and pray to the Nine Emperor Gods. They believed this would clean their bodies and minds. After some time, they became healthy again. Local people believed the gods helped them. To say thank you, they started a festival. This is how the Phuket Vegetarian Festival began.

What Happens During the Festival?

Today, the festival is very big and colourful. Many streets in Phuket Town are crowded. There are many food stalls selling vegetarian food. You can see yellow flags with red Chinese writing everywhere.

Some ceremonies are very dramatic. Spirit mediums, called ma song, take part in special rituals. They walk on hot coals and pierce their cheeks with different objects. They believe this brings good luck and takes bad luck away from the community.

There are also loud firecrackers and street processions. The atmosphere is exciting and sometimes very noisy.