PHUKET'S annual Halal Festival has begun at Saphan Hin public park and will run until September 24.

The food fair celebrates the end of Ramadan for Muslims throughout the Andaman provinces.

Along with surrounding provinces, Phuket has a large number of Muslim residents.

But the food fair is always popular with Buddhists and tourists as well because it represents a chance to try different dishes. Lamb is one taste that is more easy to find amid halal food.

Phuket's status within the Muslim community is growing, with production of halal food being made a priority by the local administration.

Because Phuket is one of the closest destinations within Thailand for majority-Muslim Indonesia and Malaysia, generating international halal trade is seen as a real benefit on an island anxious to diversify from tourism.

Tourists also come from Bangkok to Phuket for a taste of southern style delights. Muslim food is rich in flavors of a different kind, with chili used more sparingly.

For anyone looking to explore Phuket's many culinary styles more fully, the halal festival is a great alternative.

Phuket has more than 50 mosques and estimates of the number of Muslims in the population vary. Some say the number could be 40 or 50 percent.

Many of the coastal villages are Muslim, with seafood as a specialty. Patong has a large Muslim community.

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