Veggie Festival in Phuket: Tradition and enjoyment from October 20th to 29th!

Veggie Festival in Phuket: Tradition and enjoyment from October 20th to 29th!

Phuket will soon be colorful and lively again when the famous Thai Vegetarian Festival opens its doors in 2025. Over nine days, fromOctober 20th to 29th, locals and tourists celebrate happiness and spiritual purity in a communal ceremony. This traditional festival dates back to 1825 and is deeply rooted in Taoist culture. Every year, in the ninth month of the lunar calendar, believers take part in vegetarian rituals to cleanse the body and mind and pray for health and happiness - a true celebration for all who appreciate plant-based food.

The main celebrations take place at several shrine locations in Phuket, including theJui Tui Shrine,Bang Neow ShrineandSui Boon Tong Shrine. The program is packed with exciting rituals and ceremonies, ranging from traditional fire walking to the impressive Iu Keng procession. Particularly noteworthy is the opening ceremonyOctober 20th at 5:00 p.m, where the Ko Teng Pole Raising officially opens the festival.

Rituals and traditions

Participating in this festival is not only a culinary discovery but also a spiritual experience. During the festival period, participants, often dressed in white or light-colored, modest clothing, abstain from animal products. The most important rituals are, for example:

• 20. Oktober: Eröffnungszeremonie – Ko Teng Pole Raising
• 23. Oktober: Taoistische spirituelle Invocation um 20:45 Uhr
• 26. Oktober: Feuerlaufen um 20:00 Uhr
• 27. Oktober: Iu Keng Prozession um 08:00 Uhr
• 28. Oktober: Koi Han Ceremony um 20:00 Uhr
• 29. Oktober: Sang Kiew Ong Tai Te Ceremony um 23:45 Uhr
• 30. Oktober: Schlusszeremonie um 17:00 Uhr

A special focus is on the so-called Ma Song, spiritual mediums who enter a trance and play a central role in the rituals. These inexperienced people, who often come from the population, are not priests, but fulfill the tradition with their faith and commitment.

Vegan gourmet trips

This festival is a true paradise for vegans and vegetarians. During the festival days, numerous stalls and shops offer a wide range of meat-free, egg-free and dairy-free foods marked with the yellow jay symbol. The offers in stores such as 7-Eleven, Turtle Shop and supermarkets such as Lotus's and Big C are particularly worth mentioning, as they are specially tailored to the festival period. During these days, Phuket will become a culinary hotspot for everyone who loves plant-based cuisine.

The preparations for the festival are enormous. The shrines are prepared months in advance for the celebrations, requiring great effort to set up ceremonial altars and firewalking pits. Anyone staying in Phuket should book accommodation well in advance, especially if they want to stay near the Jui Tui Shrine.

Whether locals or tourists, the Phuket Vegetarian Festival attracts a large crowd every year who celebrate the traditions of the region with concentrated spirit and a variety of festive dishes. It is recommended to maintain safety, treat the rituals with respect and fully enjoy the special magic that surrounds this event.

For further information and details about the events during the festival, we recommend taking a look at the programs from MK News, Phuket Community and Hey Roseanne.