Where Can I See the Vegetarian Festival?
The biggest processions are held in Phuket and Trang. While Phuket is the most well-known procession, Trang is worth considering since there’s little-to-no tourists versus the ~500,000 tourists that attend the Phuket Vegetarian Festival annually.
All of the photos in this article were taken at the Trang Vegetarian Festival (which alternates between Mueang Trang and Kantang).
When Does the Vegetarian Festival Occur?
The Thai Vegetarian Festival is celebrated annually between the 1st and the 9th of the ninth month of the Chinese lunar calendar (mostly early- to mid-October).
When Did the Vegetarian Festival Start?
In 1825, a deadly plague hit southern Thailand. After the Hokkien immigrant communities performed the Ma Song rituals, the region was able to recover and since then, it has been performed annually.