2010 festivals and events in Phuket
Thai people are generally fun loving and enthusiastically embrace any excuse for a party, parade, festival or celebration, be it an ancient Buddhist rite or something imported like Christmas. Phuket observes all the main national festivals, both religious and contemporary, as well as some unique local events such as the annual Vegetarian festival with its bizarre body piercings. These are the most entertaining and popular festivals for 2010 (in order of importance).
Songkran festival Phuket 2010
Famous across Thailand in the hot April weather, this riot of fun is equally enjoyed and avoided by foreigners since it involves a week long soaking. Full scale water fights break out in selected areas of the island and it’s impossible to travel anywhere without roadside kids drenching bikers and cars in buckers of water. It all originated from a gentler tradition of lightly watering neighbours to beckon the rainy season and is a time for Thais to gather with their families. Central Patong and Phuket city are the best places to be, along with the main beach areas, arm yourself with water pistols on sale, a sense of humour and waterproof bags for your valuables. Unique to Phuket is the Turtle Release at selected beaches, a merit making exercise. Phuket Songkran 2010 dates: April 13th to 15th.
Traveller tale: Join the water party
Have great fun joining the globe’s biggest water battle...more
Loi Kratong Festival Phuket 2010
Taking place later in the year, this is an enchanting Thai tradition celebrated across the Kingdom, whereby sins of the past year are despatched symbolically on small beautifully crafted ‘kratongs’ that are floated down rivers or canals. Village entrances are decorated, locals wear traditional costume and general festivities accompany this two day event. Fireworks are also set off (often annoyingly for days before), and the adopted Northern Thai tradition of letting off ‘Khoms’ (glowing rice paper balloons) into the night sky adds to the experience. Loi Kratong Phuket 2010 dates: November 19th to 21st.
Phuket Vegetarian Festival 2010
The Phuket festival best known around the world is the Phuket Vegetarian Festival, which occurs on the first day of the ninth month of the lunar calendar (usually around late September or early October). This festival originated when a troupe of Chinese performers visiting Phuket fell ill. They gave up meat for seven days and performed a number of rituals to purify themselves and appease the gods. During the Vegetarian Festival the Buddhist population dons white clothing and abstains from meat, alcohol and sex. Street markets spring up serving a variety of vegetarian delicacies unique to the festival. Selected participants enter Chinese shrines and meditate until they enter an ecstatic trance and claim that they are possessed by spirits. While in this trance they perform amazing and fairly gruesome acts of self-mutilation. Spectacles include bladed ladder climbing, fire walking and the must-be-seen-to-believed processions. Processions take place in the morning all over the island and involve entranced celebrants piercing their faces with everything from spikes to knives to lawn furniture as well as self-flagellation with axes and swords. Images of Chinese gods are carried through the streets and evil spirits are scared away with firecrackers by the thousands. Phuket Vegetarian festival 2010 dates: Last week of October, tbc.
Traveller tale: Phuket Vegetarian Festival
One of the most bizarre displays of human piercing in the world is guaranteed to spoil your appetite!... more
The King’s Cup Regatta Phuket 2010
This sailing event is a prestigious international race and draws boats and their crews from all over the world to compete for royal prizes. Join in a week of hoisting spinnakers, downing rumpunch and rubbing shoulders with Phuket’s poshest off Kata beach. King’s Cup Regatta 2010 dates: 2nd to 12th December.
Chinese New Year Phuket 2010
Always guaranteed to be a colourful and noisy affair on an island with a rich Sino history, this is widely celebrated in Phuket, which has a large Chinese influence. ‘Lion dances’ and parades are held in Phuket City to the accompaniment of thousands of firecrackers. These are centred around the various Chinese temples, and not seen much in the tourist areas of the West coast. Chinese New Year Phuket 2010 dates: 14th February.
Chao Ley (sea gypsy) Boat Floating Festival Phuket 2010
This is similar to Loy Kratong. It occurs twice a year, during the sixth and eleventh lunar months of the year. The sea gypsy villages at Rawai and Sapam hold their ceremonies on the 13th; Koh Sirey celebrates on the 14th; and Laem La (east of the bridge on Phuket’s northern tip) on the 15th. The festival is marked by night time ceremonies during which exquisitely crafted small boats are set adrift to cleanse the people of the sins of the year. Dates: July 13th to 15th and November 13th to 15th.
Thao Thep Kasattri and Thao Sisunthon Fair Phuket 2010
Celebrated in mid-March to commemorate the repelling of Burmese invaders by the two celebrated heroines of Phuket. Performances, markets and other events are held throughout the island, particularly near the Heroines’ Monument. Dates: mid March tbc.
Phuket Seafood Festival 2010
A sumptuous affair that take place, which is designed to promote the delicious varieties of seafood found around the island. The festival features a parade, cultural performances and, of course, plenty of delectable seafood. Dates: May 2010 tbc.
Patong Carnival Phuket 2010
Tourist season in Phuket officially opens on the first of November and there are several events around the island to welcome visitors. The biggest is the Patong Carnival, which is a lively and colourful affair held in the main tourist area of Phuket. The festival changes slightly every year but always includes concerts, parades, games and food stalls, centred on Bangla Road. Other areas of the island also hold concerts and smaller carnivals of their own. Dates: early November, tbc.
The King’s and Queen’s Birthdays (5th of December and 12th of August, respectively) are also mothers' and fathers' day in Thailand and Thais demonstrate their deep reverence for their monarchs by displaying huge portraits of the royal family. Try to get a good vantage point to watch the fireworks set off for the celebration.
See more detailed monthly events for Phuket.
