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Did
you know!
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That: Southern
Thailand has been inhabited since the early days of mankind by ancient tribes
who settled and or adapted their lifestyles to the local environment. Who
arrived first and who pushed out or assimilated who has kept archaeologists
occupied for a long time, and promises to keep them working for a good while
to come.
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From our
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Travelers Guide to Phuket
Special
Events & Festivals
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Phuket
Vegetarian Festival
This annual festival is the most
colorful and dramatic celebration by Phukets Chinese-Thai
majority and it takes place during the first nine days of the
ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar, usually in late
September or early October. It has been an annual event since the
first festival was held in 1825 in the Kathu District of the
island, when according to legend a popular opera troupe on tour
from China mysteriously all fell seriously ill. The Vegetarian
Festival originated as a healing event for the ill-fated and
promotes physical and spiritual recovery through ritual practices
that cleanse the body and mind while strengthening the faith, it
is observed with great reverence.
Some insights: the Chinese
believe that great merit is acquired by inviting the nine gods of
the Vegetarian Festival to earth paying homage to them and in
return receiving their blessings and cures and then sending them
back home with a dazzling ceremony.
The object is to purify the mind
and body and demonstrate the strength of their faith. During this
period, devout Chinese Buddhists dress in white attire, and eat no
meat, eggs, milk, fish, garlic, or spices. They avoid sex,
gambling, swearing, killing animals, drinking alcohol, smoking,
and wearing jewelry. Amazing feats are performed by participants
who are possessed by spirits and or in a trance. They walk on
burning coals, pierce tender parts of their bodies with sharp or
thorny instruments, climb a ladder
made of knives barefoot, and
generally do such as might leave an ordinary person dead or in
critical condition. All this is done without any apparent
suffering, massive loss of blood, or other ill-effect. It is an
astonishing spectacle, but not recommended for the faint hearted,
performed not by actors but by the common citizenry. On the
morning of the last day of the Vegetarian Festival elaborate
dragon and lion dances are held, along with many mind-bending acts
of self-mortification in front of the clock tower in the center of
Phuket Town. This frantic ceremony lasts into the evening, as
thousands of people clog the streets of Phuket setting off great
strings of firecrackers to bid a last and very noisy farewell to
the gods.
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Songkran
Festival
Held annually on
April 13, marks the traditional Thai New Year. The word Songkran
comes from the Sanskrit words for New Year and was probably
inherited along with Buddhism from India making its celebration
one of the oldest traditions in Thailand. During this auspicious
celebration Thais traditionally return home for family reunions,
and visit temples, sprinkling water on Buddha images in reverence.
Meeting friends and sprinkling water on each others' shoulders and
hands is an act of wishing good luck.
The traditional gentle sprinkling
of water in temples and homes is still practiced; however,
overzealous Thais and tourists alike have resorted to throwing
water at any passersby that dare to venture out of their hotel. It
is a splashy affair for all on that day, and generally a good way
to beat the heat in what is normally the hottest month of the year
in Thailand. Lately many revelers have taken to adding talcum
powder or flour to the water. The victims of this high spirited
affair get a real whitewash.
Remember this date when you are
in Phuket. Leave your cameras and anything likely to suffer water
damage behind in your hotel room, because you will get wet.
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Turtle
Releasing Festival
Falls on the 11th of April, which
is incorporated into part of the Songkran Festival or the Thai New
Year, the Department of Fisheries has declared it as National
Fisheries Day. Baby sea-turtles are released into the sea at
various beaches around Phuket. As the numbers of sea-turtles have
been drastically reduced over the years this government sponsored
program is hoped to both increase the number of turtles and
increase public awareness about the importance of conserving and
protecting this endangered species.
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Setting
Adrift of the Chao Nam Boats Ceremonies
These are held twice annually,
once before the monsoon and once after it. They usually occur in
the middle of the 6th and 11th month of each year. During the
3-day event, sea gypsies are grounded from working. Merry-making
on liquor, singing, chanting and participating in the famous
Rahm Rong Ngeng dance are all part of this auspicious
celebration. It is an exorcism of sort. An elaborate boat called a
"prahu" is built of wood. Each sea gypsy puts in
personal items like fingernails and clippings of hair, while
little doll effigies of sailors holding swords, spears, and guns
man the deck. The whole boat is then ceremonially set adrift, the
purpose being to drive sorrow and suffering from the gypsies'
midst. The Chao Nam or Sea Gypsies, at Rawai and Sapam set their
boats adrift on the evening of the 13th; those at Koh Sirey on the
14th; and those at Lam Lah (at the north end of Phuket) celebrate
on the 15th.
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The
Thailand International Marathon Kings Cup Phuket
Is scheduled for Sunday, May 4th.
This is one of the more popular international sports events held
annually on the island. It was first held in 1989, and since then
the news of the challenging scenic route covering landscapes and
stunning sea views, the prize money, and a chance to spend a
splendid holiday in Phuket, have drawn a growing number of
international marathon runners and those who follow the sport.
Added to this spectacle is a 10Km
mini-marathon that is broken into age groups from the very young
to those over sixty. The beginning and ending venue is at Saphan
Hin Park in Phuket Town.
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Loy
Kratong Festival (Full moon day)
The origins of this of this
charming evening are not clear but it is the most beautiful of
Thai celebrations. One legend has the festival beginning in the
13th century Sukhothai period when a young princess floated a
small boat laden with candle and incense downstream past a
pavilion where her husband was entertaining friends. It has grown
to be one of the countrys most enchanting festivals.
As the full moon rises, Thais
fill tiny floral boats with candles and incense and launch them
into the rivers, canals, ponds, and the sea to wash away sins and
to bless love affairs. Join in the fun: buy a kratong from a
vender, light the taper and incense, place a small coin and a few
hairs plucked from the head, say a prayer and send it on its way
on a pond or waterway. The celebration begins about 7.30 PM. Thai
women dress in beautiful traditional Thai dresses.
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The
Kings Cup Regatta
 An
annual yacht race on December 5th in honor of His Majesty the King
of Thailand. First held in 1987, to celebrate the 5th 12-year
cycle of the Kings birth. More than 100 racing yachts from all
over the world compete in different classes, in what has now
become Asias premier yachting event. The competition features a
one week series of races between Nai Harn Beach and Phi Phi
Island.
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Atlantis
- liveaboard diving in Thailand
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