TAT projects big earnings as visitors head to Phuket for Vegetarian Festival

The annual festival, which kicks off on Sunday, is expected to attract visitors from neighbouring provinces, such as Phang Nga, Krabi and Surat Thani, TAT Phuket Office director Lertchai Wangtrakuldee said on Saturday.

With its projection of nearly 10 billion baht, the TAT is clearly setting an ambitious target compared to the 3.5 billion baht earned from the festival last year.

Thanes Tantipiriyakit, chairman of the Phuket Tourism Council, said the celebration in Phuket will be bigger than ever this year, with over 30 local shrines and organisations expressing interest in joining the event. Last year, some 10 shrines participated.

“Spending on food in Phuket will spike during the festival, as can be seen from high-end restaurants adding vegetarian dishes to their menus,” he said.

The Phuket Vegetarian Festival is one of Thailand’s most famous events, drawing thousands of visitors and worshippers, who cleanse their bodies for nine days before they honour the nine Taoist emperor gods.

The history of the festival in Phuket dates back to the 1800s when the province was inhabited by mostly Chinese miners.

Around that time, an epidemic spread in Kathu town, claiming the lives of many people including members of an opera troupe from China.

The troupe then decided to lead locals in abstaining from meat and diligently praying to the gods for nine days and nine nights in the hope of finding a cure.

Their efforts paid off, with infected troupe members recovering from the disease, which also led the locals to become believers.

In present times, devotees in Phuket celebrate the festival with several activities, including walking on fire and piercing their bodies with metal skewers to “shift the evil” of others onto themselves and bring luck back to their community.