MODERNITY mixes with the mystical at Phuket's Vegetarian Festival this year with entranced warriors being issued with ID cards before they are possessed by spirits.
The move is aimed at avoiding having too many large and inappropriate objects speared through the cheeks of participants in the daily temple piercings and street parades.
The official mah song, or entranced warriors, have had to register this year on Phuket for the first time. So far 350 have signed up and been issued with plastic cards that carry their full name, portrait and their 13-digit Thai ID number.
The names of the god that will inhabit them, the helping friends who will assist them and the temple to which they are attached are all included.
Organisers anticipate the cards will be carried by conventional means, probably in the pockets of traditional warriors' aprons.
For the first time this year, the number of Phuket Chinese temples rises from 16 to 18 with the addition of Rawai, in Phuket's south, and Tungka, in Phuket City.
As well as invading ghosts, the festival brings an estimated 200 million baht to boost the island's own spirits. It's one heck of a way to warm up for the high season, which begins in prosperous years on November 1 but has been mostly delayed lately until December 1.
Proceedings for the nine-day festival actually start one day earlier on October 17 with the popular Pole Raising Ceremony at Jui Tui temple in Phuket City and at other shrines at precisely 5.09pm.
A growing number of Western people who display more permanent (if not yet entirely conventional) body piercings are expected to be among the international visitors attracted by the festival.
More traditional visitors from places where the history of the Chinese rituals is the attraction will be on 27 direct flights from Guangzhou, Shanghai and Kunming, Singapore and Malaysia.
Chinese Taoist temples can also be found in the neighboring provinces of Phang Nga and Krabi as well but the most elaborate, colorful and noisy ceremonies come at the Phuket temples, especially those near Phuket City.
The final night, when the invading spirits are driven back out to sea, brings hundreds of adherents dressed in white to the older parts of the island's capital and the parades and the explosions of fireworks continue until after midnight.
Among the most unusual mah song entranced warriors is one who lives in Kathu and who becomes inhabited each year by the spirit of a departed Muslim, an imam who was greatly respected in the neighborhood.
In the warrior's home, Taoist and Muslim shrines sit side by side. Although he knows no other language except Thai, the warrior is said to be able to recite passages from the Koran while possessed.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand reports that about 60 percent of the 38,000 rooms available on Phuket have already been reserved for the festival period. Almost certain to be fully booked are the 4200 rooms in Phuket City, especially during the last three days.
Ranong Road near Jui Tui and Samkong are probably the two most popular places for vegetarian food, with Ranong Road converted to a walking street and Samkong becoming more difficult for through-traffic because of the erection of scores of canopied street stalls.
Scores of yellow roadside flags signifying the festival's arrival are already fluttering all over Phuket.
See the Vegetarian Festival from October 18-26.
October 17
KATHU SHRINE
17.00 Lantern Pole Raising
24.00 Jade Emperor & Nine Emperor Gods Propitiation
JUI TUI SHRINE
17.09 Lantern Pole Raising
23.09 Jade Emperor & Nine Emperor Gods Propitiation
BANG NEOW SHRINE
17.00 Warriors Propitiation & Lantern Pole Raising
22.00 Jade Emperor
23.00 Nine Emperor Gods Propitation at Saphan Hin
SUI BOON TONG SHRINE
16.00 Lantern Pole Raising
24.00 Jade Emperor & Nine Emperor Gods Propitiation
SAMKONG SHRINE
17.45 Lantern Pole Raising
24.00 Jade Emperor & Nine Emperor Gods Propitiation (Yog Ong Song Tae & Kiu Ong Tai Tae)
BAN THA RUE SHRINE
17.00 Lantern Pole Raising
24.00 Jade Emperor & Nine Emperor Gods Propitiation
CHERNG THALAY SHRINE
16.59 Lantern Pole Raising
21.09 Jade Emperor Propitiation
23.00 Nine Emperor Gods Propitiation at Surin Beach
YOKKEKENG SHRINE
17.00 Lantern Pole Raising
22.30 Jade Emperor Propitiation
24.00 Nine Emperor Gods Propitiation
SAPAM SHRINE
17.45 Lantern Pole Raising
24.00 Jade Emperor & Nine Emperor Gods Propitiation
October 18
KATHU SHRINE
05.00 / 18.00 Worship of Gods
JUI TUI SHRINE
Worship of Gods
SUI BOON TONG SHRINE
20.00 Worship of Gods
SAMKONG SHRINE
Worship of Gods
BAN THA RUE SHRINE
12.00 / 19.00 Worship of Gods
CHERNG THALAY SHRINE
15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
18.00 Worship of Gods
YOKKEKENG SHRINE
Worship of Gods
SAPAM SHRINE
17.45 Birth-Death Gods Propitition at Saphanhin
October 19
KATHU SHRINE
05.00 / 18.00 Worship of Gods
JUI TUI SHRINE
Worship of Gods and Spirit Propitiation of Past Participants of the Vegetarian Festival.
SUI BOON TONG SHRINE
20.00 Worship and Propitiation of Gods
SAMKONG SHRINE
Worship of Gods
BAN THA RUE SHRINE
17.00 Worship of Gods
CHERNG THALAY SHRINE
15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
18.00 Worship of Gods
YOKKEKENG SHRINE
20.00 Worship of Gods
October 20
KATHU SHRINE
05.00 / 18.00 Worship of Gods
16.00 Warriors Propitiation
16.30 Food Offering to Warriors
19.30 Birth-Death Gods Propitiation
JUI TUI SHRINE
19.30 Food Offering to Warriors
20.45 Birth-Death Gods Propitiation
BANG NEOW SHRINE
15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
SUI BOON TONG SHRINE
15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
20.00 Worship of Gods
SAMKONG SHRINE
15.09 Food Offering to Warriors
20.00 Propitiation of Seven Stars
BAN THA RUE SHRINE
17.30 Food Offering to Warriors
18.30 Birth-Death Gods Propitiation
CHERNG THALAY SHRINE
15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
15.30 Blessing Bang Tao Village
19.00 Worship of Gods
YOKKEKENG SHRINE
15.30 Food Offering to Warriors
20.00 Birth-Death Gods Propitiation at Koh Sirey Beach
SAPAM SHRINE
07.00 Street Procession in Phuket town
15.45 Food Offering to Warriors
SAPAM SHRINE
20.00 Worship of Gods
October 21
KATHU SHRINE
05.00 / 18.00 Worship of Gods
JUI TUI SHRINE
Worship of Gods and Spirit Propitiation of Past Participants of the Vegetarian Festival
BANG NEOW SHRINE
Spirit Propitiation of Past Participants of the Vegetarian Festival
SUI BOON TONG SHRINE
20.00 Worship of Gods
SAMKONG SHRINE
05.30 Worship of Gods
07.19 Street Procession in Phuket Town
12.00 Worship of Gods
18.00 Worship of Gods
BAN THA RUE SHRINE
12.00 / 19.30 Worship of Gods
CHERNG THALAY SHRINE
15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
15.30 Blessing Manik and Cherng Thalay Villages
19.00 Worship of Gods
YOKKEKENG SHRINE
07.30 Worship of Gods
20.00 Worship of Gods
SAPAM SHRINE
Worship of Gods
October 22
KATHU SHRINE
05.00 / 18.00 Worship of Gods
19.00 Oil Bathing & Bladed - Ladder Climbing
JUI TUI SHRINE
Worship of Gods
BANG NEOW SHRINE
15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
20.00 Propitiation of Seven Stars
SUI BOON TONG SHRINE
20.00 Worship of Gods
24.00 Propitiation of Gods
SAMKONG SHRINE
05.30 Worship of Gods
15.09 Food Offering to Warriors
18.00 Worship of Gods
BAN THA RUE SHRINE
07.30 Street Procession in Phuket Town
CHERNG THALAY SHRINE
15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
20.09 Propitiation of Seven Stars
23.00 Worship of Gods
YOKKEKENG SHRINE
07.30 Worship of Gods
20.00 Worship of Gods
SAPAM SHRINE
19.00 Street Procession in Sapam Village
October 23
KATHU SHRINE
05.00 Worship of Gods
16.00 Food Offering to Warriors
18.00 Worship of Gods
JUI TUI SHRINE
15.09 Food Offering to Warriors
20.09 Fire Walking at Saphan Hin
BANG NEOW SHRINE
07.00 Street Procession in Phuket Town
15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
SUI BOON TONG SHRINE
15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
19.00 Worship of Gods
21.00 Fire Walking
SAMKONG SHRINE
05.30 Worship of Gods
15.09 Food Offering to Warriors
18.00 Worship of Gods
BAN THA RUE SHRINE
17.00 Food Offering to Warriors
20.00 Fire Walking at Shrine
CHERNG THALAY SHRINE
05.30 Worship of Gods
07.30 Street Procession in Thalang District
15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
19.30 Worship of Gods
21.30 Random Selection to Find Servants to Priests in the Next Vegetarian Festival
YOKKEKENG SHRINE
07.30 Worship of Gods
15.30 Food Offering to Warriors
20.00 Fire Walking at Shrine
SAPAM SHRINE
15.30 Food Offering to Warriors
21.00 Fire Walking at Shrine
October 24
KATHU SHRINE
05.00 Worship of Gods
16.00 Food Offering to Warriors
18.00 Worship of Gods
19.00 Propitiation of Seven Stars
JUI TUI SHRINE
08.00 Street Procession in Phuket Town
21.09 Propitiation of Seven Stars
BANG NEOW SHRINE
15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
20.00 Bladed-Ladder Climbing
SAMKONG SHRINE
05.30 Worship of Gods
15.09 Food Offering to Warriors
18.00 Worship of Gods
20.00 Bladed - Ladder Climbing
SUI BOON TONG SHRINE
19.00 Worship of Gods
21.00 Propitiation of Seven Stars
BAN THA RUE SHRINE
20.00 Propitiation of Seven Stars
20.45 Oil Bathing, Tying Children's Wrist
CHERNG THALAY SHRINE
15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
19.59 Bladed-Ladder Climbing
23.00 Worship of Gods
YOKKEKENG SHRINE
20.00 Propitiation of Seven Stars
SAPAM SHRINE
20.00 Propitiation of Seven Stars
20.00 Nail Bridge Crossing
Oil Bathing
October 25
KATHU SHRINE
05.00 Worship of Gods
07.00 Street Procession in Phuket Town
12.00 Worship of Gods
16.00 Food Offering to Warriors
18.00 Worship of Gods
JUI TUI SHRINE
20.09 Bridge Crossing for Purification
BANG NEOW SHRINE
15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
20.00 Fire Walking at Shrine
22.00 Random Selection to Find Servants to Priests in the Next Vegetarian Festival
SUI BOON TONG SHRINE
20.00 Food Offering to Warriors
24.00 Propitiation of Gods
SAMKONG SHRINE
05.30 Worship of Gods
15.09 Food Offering to Warriors
18.00 Worship of Gods
20.00 Fire Walking at Shrine
BAN THA RUE SHRINE
18.30 Street Procession in Thalang District
CHERNG THALAY SHRINE
15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
20.09 Fire Walking at Shrine
21.30 Worship of Gods
YOKKEKENG SHRINE
07.00 Street Procession in Phuket Town (join in Kathu Shrine's Procession)
SAPAM SHRINE
Worship of Gods
October 26
KATHU SHRINE
05.00 Worship of Gods
09.30 Random Selection to Find Servants to Priests in the Next Vegetarian Festival
15.00 Fire Walking at Shrine
16.00 Food Offering to Warriors
18.00 Worship of Gods
19.30 Bridge Crossing for Purification
24.00 Siva & Nine Emperor Gods and Birth-Death Gods Farewell
JUI TUI SHRINE
15.09 Food Offering to Warriors
23.09 Siva Farewell
23.45 Nine Emperor Gods Farewell at Saphanhin
BANG NEOW SHRINE
15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
18.00 Bridge Crossing for Purification
22.00 Siva & Nine Emperor Gods Farewell
SUI BOON TONG SHRINE
07.00 Street Procession in Phuket Town
20.00 Worship of Gods
21.00 Bridge Crossing for Purification
24.00 Siva & Nine Emperor Gods Farewell
SAMKONG SHRINE
05.30 Worship of Gods
15.09 Food Offering to Warriors
19.00 Bridge Crossing for Purification
23.09 Siva Farewell
24.00 Nine Emperor Gods Farewell at Saphanhin
BAN THA RUE SHRINE
17.30 Food Offering to Warriors
20.00 Bridge Crossing for Purification and Siva & Nine Emperor Gods Farewell at Nai Yang Beach
CHERNG THALAY SHRINE
05.30 Worship of Gods
15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
18.30 Bridge Crossing for Purification
21.30 Siva Farewell
22.09 Nine Emperor Gods Farewell at Surin Beach
YOKKEKENG SHRINE
07.30 Worship of Gods
15.30 Food Offering to Warriors
20.00 Bridge Crossing for Purification
22.30 Siva Farewell
24.00 Nine Emperor Gods Farewell at Koh Sirey Beach
SAPAM SHRINE
19.45 Bridge Crossing for Purification
22.45 Siva & Nine Emperor Gods Farewell
October 27
KATHU SHRINE
17.00 Lantern Pole Lowering
17.30 Warriors Farewell
JUI TUI SHRINE
17.09 Lantern Pole Lowering
BANG NEOW SHRINE
15.00 Food Offering to Warriors and Lantern Pole Lowering
SAMKONG SHRINE
17.09 Lantern Pole Lowering
BAN THA RUE SHRINE
16.45 Lantern Pole Lowering
CHERNG THALAY SHRINE
16.30 Food Offering to Warriors
17.00 Lantern Pole Lowering
YOKKEKENG SHRINE
16.00 Food Offering to Warriors
16.00 Lantern Pole Lowering
SAPAM SHRINE
15.45 Food Offering to Warriors
15.45 Lantern Pole Lowering
The move is aimed at avoiding having too many large and inappropriate objects speared through the cheeks of participants in the daily temple piercings and street parades.
The official mah song, or entranced warriors, have had to register this year on Phuket for the first time. So far 350 have signed up and been issued with plastic cards that carry their full name, portrait and their 13-digit Thai ID number.
The names of the god that will inhabit them, the helping friends who will assist them and the temple to which they are attached are all included.
Organisers anticipate the cards will be carried by conventional means, probably in the pockets of traditional warriors' aprons.
For the first time this year, the number of Phuket Chinese temples rises from 16 to 18 with the addition of Rawai, in Phuket's south, and Tungka, in Phuket City.
As well as invading ghosts, the festival brings an estimated 200 million baht to boost the island's own spirits. It's one heck of a way to warm up for the high season, which begins in prosperous years on November 1 but has been mostly delayed lately until December 1.
Proceedings for the nine-day festival actually start one day earlier on October 17 with the popular Pole Raising Ceremony at Jui Tui temple in Phuket City and at other shrines at precisely 5.09pm.
A growing number of Western people who display more permanent (if not yet entirely conventional) body piercings are expected to be among the international visitors attracted by the festival.
More traditional visitors from places where the history of the Chinese rituals is the attraction will be on 27 direct flights from Guangzhou, Shanghai and Kunming, Singapore and Malaysia.
Chinese Taoist temples can also be found in the neighboring provinces of Phang Nga and Krabi as well but the most elaborate, colorful and noisy ceremonies come at the Phuket temples, especially those near Phuket City.
The final night, when the invading spirits are driven back out to sea, brings hundreds of adherents dressed in white to the older parts of the island's capital and the parades and the explosions of fireworks continue until after midnight.
Among the most unusual mah song entranced warriors is one who lives in Kathu and who becomes inhabited each year by the spirit of a departed Muslim, an imam who was greatly respected in the neighborhood.
In the warrior's home, Taoist and Muslim shrines sit side by side. Although he knows no other language except Thai, the warrior is said to be able to recite passages from the Koran while possessed.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand reports that about 60 percent of the 38,000 rooms available on Phuket have already been reserved for the festival period. Almost certain to be fully booked are the 4200 rooms in Phuket City, especially during the last three days.
Ranong Road near Jui Tui and Samkong are probably the two most popular places for vegetarian food, with Ranong Road converted to a walking street and Samkong becoming more difficult for through-traffic because of the erection of scores of canopied street stalls.
Scores of yellow roadside flags signifying the festival's arrival are already fluttering all over Phuket.
See the Vegetarian Festival from October 18-26.
October 17
KATHU SHRINE
17.00 Lantern Pole Raising
24.00 Jade Emperor & Nine Emperor Gods Propitiation
JUI TUI SHRINE
17.09 Lantern Pole Raising
23.09 Jade Emperor & Nine Emperor Gods Propitiation
BANG NEOW SHRINE
17.00 Warriors Propitiation & Lantern Pole Raising
22.00 Jade Emperor
23.00 Nine Emperor Gods Propitation at Saphan Hin
SUI BOON TONG SHRINE
16.00 Lantern Pole Raising
24.00 Jade Emperor & Nine Emperor Gods Propitiation
SAMKONG SHRINE
17.45 Lantern Pole Raising
24.00 Jade Emperor & Nine Emperor Gods Propitiation (Yog Ong Song Tae & Kiu Ong Tai Tae)
BAN THA RUE SHRINE
17.00 Lantern Pole Raising
24.00 Jade Emperor & Nine Emperor Gods Propitiation
CHERNG THALAY SHRINE
16.59 Lantern Pole Raising
21.09 Jade Emperor Propitiation
23.00 Nine Emperor Gods Propitiation at Surin Beach
YOKKEKENG SHRINE
17.00 Lantern Pole Raising
22.30 Jade Emperor Propitiation
24.00 Nine Emperor Gods Propitiation
SAPAM SHRINE
17.45 Lantern Pole Raising
24.00 Jade Emperor & Nine Emperor Gods Propitiation
October 18
KATHU SHRINE
05.00 / 18.00 Worship of Gods
JUI TUI SHRINE
Worship of Gods
SUI BOON TONG SHRINE
20.00 Worship of Gods
SAMKONG SHRINE
Worship of Gods
BAN THA RUE SHRINE
12.00 / 19.00 Worship of Gods
CHERNG THALAY SHRINE
15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
18.00 Worship of Gods
YOKKEKENG SHRINE
Worship of Gods
SAPAM SHRINE
17.45 Birth-Death Gods Propitition at Saphanhin
October 19
KATHU SHRINE
05.00 / 18.00 Worship of Gods
JUI TUI SHRINE
Worship of Gods and Spirit Propitiation of Past Participants of the Vegetarian Festival.
SUI BOON TONG SHRINE
20.00 Worship and Propitiation of Gods
SAMKONG SHRINE
Worship of Gods
BAN THA RUE SHRINE
17.00 Worship of Gods
CHERNG THALAY SHRINE
15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
18.00 Worship of Gods
YOKKEKENG SHRINE
20.00 Worship of Gods
October 20
KATHU SHRINE
05.00 / 18.00 Worship of Gods
16.00 Warriors Propitiation
16.30 Food Offering to Warriors
19.30 Birth-Death Gods Propitiation
JUI TUI SHRINE
19.30 Food Offering to Warriors
20.45 Birth-Death Gods Propitiation
BANG NEOW SHRINE
15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
SUI BOON TONG SHRINE
15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
20.00 Worship of Gods
SAMKONG SHRINE
15.09 Food Offering to Warriors
20.00 Propitiation of Seven Stars
BAN THA RUE SHRINE
17.30 Food Offering to Warriors
18.30 Birth-Death Gods Propitiation
CHERNG THALAY SHRINE
15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
15.30 Blessing Bang Tao Village
19.00 Worship of Gods
YOKKEKENG SHRINE
15.30 Food Offering to Warriors
20.00 Birth-Death Gods Propitiation at Koh Sirey Beach
SAPAM SHRINE
07.00 Street Procession in Phuket town
15.45 Food Offering to Warriors
SAPAM SHRINE
20.00 Worship of Gods
October 21
KATHU SHRINE
05.00 / 18.00 Worship of Gods
JUI TUI SHRINE
Worship of Gods and Spirit Propitiation of Past Participants of the Vegetarian Festival
BANG NEOW SHRINE
Spirit Propitiation of Past Participants of the Vegetarian Festival
SUI BOON TONG SHRINE
20.00 Worship of Gods
SAMKONG SHRINE
05.30 Worship of Gods
07.19 Street Procession in Phuket Town
12.00 Worship of Gods
18.00 Worship of Gods
BAN THA RUE SHRINE
12.00 / 19.30 Worship of Gods
CHERNG THALAY SHRINE
15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
15.30 Blessing Manik and Cherng Thalay Villages
19.00 Worship of Gods
YOKKEKENG SHRINE
07.30 Worship of Gods
20.00 Worship of Gods
SAPAM SHRINE
Worship of Gods
October 22
KATHU SHRINE
05.00 / 18.00 Worship of Gods
19.00 Oil Bathing & Bladed - Ladder Climbing
JUI TUI SHRINE
Worship of Gods
BANG NEOW SHRINE
15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
20.00 Propitiation of Seven Stars
SUI BOON TONG SHRINE
20.00 Worship of Gods
24.00 Propitiation of Gods
SAMKONG SHRINE
05.30 Worship of Gods
15.09 Food Offering to Warriors
18.00 Worship of Gods
BAN THA RUE SHRINE
07.30 Street Procession in Phuket Town
CHERNG THALAY SHRINE
15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
20.09 Propitiation of Seven Stars
23.00 Worship of Gods
YOKKEKENG SHRINE
07.30 Worship of Gods
20.00 Worship of Gods
SAPAM SHRINE
19.00 Street Procession in Sapam Village
October 23
KATHU SHRINE
05.00 Worship of Gods
16.00 Food Offering to Warriors
18.00 Worship of Gods
JUI TUI SHRINE
15.09 Food Offering to Warriors
20.09 Fire Walking at Saphan Hin
BANG NEOW SHRINE
07.00 Street Procession in Phuket Town
15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
SUI BOON TONG SHRINE
15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
19.00 Worship of Gods
21.00 Fire Walking
SAMKONG SHRINE
05.30 Worship of Gods
15.09 Food Offering to Warriors
18.00 Worship of Gods
BAN THA RUE SHRINE
17.00 Food Offering to Warriors
20.00 Fire Walking at Shrine
CHERNG THALAY SHRINE
05.30 Worship of Gods
07.30 Street Procession in Thalang District
15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
19.30 Worship of Gods
21.30 Random Selection to Find Servants to Priests in the Next Vegetarian Festival
YOKKEKENG SHRINE
07.30 Worship of Gods
15.30 Food Offering to Warriors
20.00 Fire Walking at Shrine
SAPAM SHRINE
15.30 Food Offering to Warriors
21.00 Fire Walking at Shrine
October 24
KATHU SHRINE
05.00 Worship of Gods
16.00 Food Offering to Warriors
18.00 Worship of Gods
19.00 Propitiation of Seven Stars
JUI TUI SHRINE
08.00 Street Procession in Phuket Town
21.09 Propitiation of Seven Stars
BANG NEOW SHRINE
15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
20.00 Bladed-Ladder Climbing
SAMKONG SHRINE
05.30 Worship of Gods
15.09 Food Offering to Warriors
18.00 Worship of Gods
20.00 Bladed - Ladder Climbing
SUI BOON TONG SHRINE
19.00 Worship of Gods
21.00 Propitiation of Seven Stars
BAN THA RUE SHRINE
20.00 Propitiation of Seven Stars
20.45 Oil Bathing, Tying Children's Wrist
CHERNG THALAY SHRINE
15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
19.59 Bladed-Ladder Climbing
23.00 Worship of Gods
YOKKEKENG SHRINE
20.00 Propitiation of Seven Stars
SAPAM SHRINE
20.00 Propitiation of Seven Stars
20.00 Nail Bridge Crossing
Oil Bathing
October 25
KATHU SHRINE
05.00 Worship of Gods
07.00 Street Procession in Phuket Town
12.00 Worship of Gods
16.00 Food Offering to Warriors
18.00 Worship of Gods
JUI TUI SHRINE
20.09 Bridge Crossing for Purification
BANG NEOW SHRINE
15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
20.00 Fire Walking at Shrine
22.00 Random Selection to Find Servants to Priests in the Next Vegetarian Festival
SUI BOON TONG SHRINE
20.00 Food Offering to Warriors
24.00 Propitiation of Gods
SAMKONG SHRINE
05.30 Worship of Gods
15.09 Food Offering to Warriors
18.00 Worship of Gods
20.00 Fire Walking at Shrine
BAN THA RUE SHRINE
18.30 Street Procession in Thalang District
CHERNG THALAY SHRINE
15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
20.09 Fire Walking at Shrine
21.30 Worship of Gods
YOKKEKENG SHRINE
07.00 Street Procession in Phuket Town (join in Kathu Shrine's Procession)
SAPAM SHRINE
Worship of Gods
October 26
KATHU SHRINE
05.00 Worship of Gods
09.30 Random Selection to Find Servants to Priests in the Next Vegetarian Festival
15.00 Fire Walking at Shrine
16.00 Food Offering to Warriors
18.00 Worship of Gods
19.30 Bridge Crossing for Purification
24.00 Siva & Nine Emperor Gods and Birth-Death Gods Farewell
JUI TUI SHRINE
15.09 Food Offering to Warriors
23.09 Siva Farewell
23.45 Nine Emperor Gods Farewell at Saphanhin
BANG NEOW SHRINE
15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
18.00 Bridge Crossing for Purification
22.00 Siva & Nine Emperor Gods Farewell
SUI BOON TONG SHRINE
07.00 Street Procession in Phuket Town
20.00 Worship of Gods
21.00 Bridge Crossing for Purification
24.00 Siva & Nine Emperor Gods Farewell
SAMKONG SHRINE
05.30 Worship of Gods
15.09 Food Offering to Warriors
19.00 Bridge Crossing for Purification
23.09 Siva Farewell
24.00 Nine Emperor Gods Farewell at Saphanhin
BAN THA RUE SHRINE
17.30 Food Offering to Warriors
20.00 Bridge Crossing for Purification and Siva & Nine Emperor Gods Farewell at Nai Yang Beach
CHERNG THALAY SHRINE
05.30 Worship of Gods
15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
18.30 Bridge Crossing for Purification
21.30 Siva Farewell
22.09 Nine Emperor Gods Farewell at Surin Beach
YOKKEKENG SHRINE
07.30 Worship of Gods
15.30 Food Offering to Warriors
20.00 Bridge Crossing for Purification
22.30 Siva Farewell
24.00 Nine Emperor Gods Farewell at Koh Sirey Beach
SAPAM SHRINE
19.45 Bridge Crossing for Purification
22.45 Siva & Nine Emperor Gods Farewell
October 27
KATHU SHRINE
17.00 Lantern Pole Lowering
17.30 Warriors Farewell
JUI TUI SHRINE
17.09 Lantern Pole Lowering
BANG NEOW SHRINE
15.00 Food Offering to Warriors and Lantern Pole Lowering
SAMKONG SHRINE
17.09 Lantern Pole Lowering
BAN THA RUE SHRINE
16.45 Lantern Pole Lowering
CHERNG THALAY SHRINE
16.30 Food Offering to Warriors
17.00 Lantern Pole Lowering
YOKKEKENG SHRINE
16.00 Food Offering to Warriors
16.00 Lantern Pole Lowering
SAPAM SHRINE
15.45 Food Offering to Warriors
15.45 Lantern Pole Lowering
More on the Veg Fest: Photo Albums
Phuket Vegetarian Festival, October 18-26
Photo Album Phuket's Vegetarian Festival 2009 will be another trip to a world where possessed ''warriors'' show how different the holiday island can be in its culture.
Phuket Vegetarian Festival, October 18-26
Phuket Secrets of a Vegetarian Muslim Warrior
Confronting to the senses, challenging to logic, Phuket's Vegetarian Festival is a memorable experience. Possessed by spirits, the warriors perform amazing deeds. A Muslim link is yet another surprise.
Phuket Secrets of a Vegetarian Muslim Warrior
Fifty Reasons Why We Love Phuket (I)
Phuket remains very much a special part of Thailand, and that's reason to celebrate. In the first of two parts, we look at the delights of the island.
Fifty Reasons Why We Love Phuket (I)
Phuketwan Latest Phuket News
Patong Shootout Gunman Killed Cousin: Police
Phuket Latest An intense family feud over a landmark property in Patong brought one family murder and now police have charged a man with killing his cousin in a dramatic daylight shootout.
Patong Shootout Gunman Killed Cousin: Police
Phuket Wins Miss Poland Beauty Contestants
Phuket Photo Album Beauty comes in all sizes and shapes and the Miss Polonia contestants will discover over the next few days how beautiful the island of Phuket can be.
Phuket Wins Miss Poland Beauty Contestants
Six Phuket Resorts and 1200 Rooms Win a Big Tick
Brands in Bloom A fourth Courtyard by Marriott, a new Novotel and another Phuket Arcadia are coming, just three of six resort projects that will add 1200 rooms to Phuket resort stock.
Six Phuket Resorts and 1200 Rooms Win a Big Tick
Norway's Professors Pursue Phi Phi Killer Riddle
Latest The enduring mystery of why two young tourists died on the holiday island of Phi Phi may yet be answered. Two forensic professors have been working on the case since June.
Norway's Professors Pursue Phi Phi Killer Riddle
