| Whether they're held to honour a religious belief
or just for fun, the festivals of Phuket are exciting, sometimes bizarre
spectacles - certainly never bland. The island's most distinctive event is the
annual Vegetarian Festival  ,
featuring processions of god-mediums performing shocking acts of self-mortification
as a test of faith. This bazaar of the bizarre is held annually over 9 days in
the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar.
Other lively and colourful
events unique to Phuket include the Phuket
King's Cup Regatta and Phuket Bike Week, while others, such as Loy
Kratong and Songkran ,
Chinese New Year, are part of nationwide celebrations. The island gets
busy during festival times so be sure to book
a hotel in advance. Check this section regularly for updates and additions.
 January 2009
Puravarna Phang Nga Bay Regatta
 |
| Action onboard a sailing yacht |
Date: January 26th – 30th, 2009
Location: Phang Nga Bay
www.bayregatta.com
The Puravarna Phang Nga Bay Regatta is Phuket's first major sailing event of the calendar year.
Speeding ships knife through the Andaman Sea around Phang Nga, Krabi, and Phuket – only stopping to sleep and generally to have a good time.
This year there is prize money on offer, so that should make things interesting.
February 2009
Old Phuket Festival
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| Old Phuket Festival Show |
Date: January 30th - February 2nd, 2009
Location: Phuket Town
Three Old Phuket Town streets - Thalang Road, Krabi Road and Phang Nga Road are closed to motorised traffic for three evenings of celebrations.
It's a sensory circus, with performances of traditional dance, food, music, and art. The community event is free and open to all.
Phuket International Blues Rock Festival
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| Eric Bibb |
Date: February 19th - 22nd, 2009
Venue: Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort, Karon Beach
The weather may be cool but the music is hot. The 4th Annual Phuket Blues Festival promises to be another great time of food, fun and, of course, music.
Eric Bibb, a New Yorker, is headlining and The Rich Harper Blues Band is back by popular demand in addition to many other local and international acts.
Flowering Body, an Art Exhibition
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| Nitaya Ueareeworakul's artwork |
Date: February 18th – March 18th, 2009
Venue: D Gallery, Royal Phuket Marina
Flowering Body is an art exhibition by Nitaya Ueareeworakul. Born in Udonthani in 1966, she graduated in Fine Art from Chulalongkorn University. Her remarkable artwork features mixed techniques and touches on the process of reusing items. In this series 'Flowering Body', Nitaya recycles used clothes from her family members which were cut and coloured, then pasted on canvas. The exhibition is basically a female’s story told through materials, patterns and colours.
Nitaya has had eight solo exhibitions in Thailand as well as participating in group exhibitions and workshops in France, Australia, Kenya, Austria, India, Japan, Korea, Vietnam and Singapore. She is also one of the founding organizers of the annual Womanifesto event.
April 2009
Phuket International Cricket Sixes Tournament
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| 'The conversation' |
Date: April 15th – 19th, 2009
Venue: Karon Municipal Stadium, Karon Beach
Email: media@phuketsixes.com
2009 will mark the sixth annual Phuket Cricket Sixes Tournament. Participants have had an absolute 'ball' in previous years, and 2009 promises to bring even more top international players to the island.
Some of the big names from past years are: former Test cricket player Trevor Chappell (Aus) and greats Adam Hollioake (Aus) and Alan Mullally (England).
The Phuket Sixes is fast becoming a major stop on the Asian cricket circuit.
Phuket Bike Week
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| Amazing bikes on display |
Date: April 9th – 12th, 2009
Location: Patong Beach
www.phuketbikeweek.com
Now in its 15th year, the annual Phuket Bike Week is one of the biggest motorcycle events in Southeast Asia.
Get to see an amazing collection of Harleys, Hondas and superbikes at this annual event.
Music, contests, parties and charity rides around the island. Fun for bikers and hangers-on alike.
Songkran Festival
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| Big fun for kids |
Date: April 13th – 15th, 2009
Location: Nationwide
Contact: Tourism Authority of Thailand Phuket office
Tel: 076-212 213
Thailand's most famous festival celebrates Thai New Year. Prepare to join in the fun and get very wet or else stay indoors!
Songkran is a loud, boisterous festival that features a lot of water throwing in the streets.
See photos of the Songkran Festival in Phuket.
June 2009
2009 Laguna Phuket International Marathon
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| Laguna Phuket International Marathon 2008 |
Date: June 14th, 2009
Location: Bangtao Beach
www.phuketmarathon.com
This year’s Laguna Phuket International Marathon, the fourth, is expected to attract some 4,000 competitors, of whom 1,500 will be coming from 40 overseas countries.
Phuket 2nd Film Festival
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| Phuket 2nd Film Festival |
Date: June 4th-11th, 2009
Venue: Jungceylon, Patong Beach
www.phuketfilmfestival.asia
The 2nd Phuket Film Festival is scheduled to take place in June 2009, showcasing more than 50 movies from some 20 different countries, including numerous entries from Scandinavia, the UK and Germany, with the emphasis on light, family-oriented “fun” films. Most of the movies will be feature films or documentaries, though there may also be a “side bar” of short films about the plight of the elephant in Southeast Asia.
As in the first festival, in 2007, the movies will be divided into four categories: “Slices of Life”, “Water”, “The World Around Us” and “Alternative Lifestyle”. The organizers are also hoping to screen as many world premières at the Festival as possible. They expect the seven days of the Festival to attract between 3,000 and 5,000 moviegoers. The biggest part of this number is expected to be foreigners living on the island, followed by Thais in their late teens and early 20s, along with Thai families; and foreign tourists.
Kalim Surfing Contest
Date: June 2009
Location: Kalim Beach
www.phuketboardriders.com
Kalim Beach hosts the Kalim Surf Contest. Organized by members of the Phuket Board Rider Club, the 2009 contest dates will be announced later.
July 2009
Six Senses Phuket Race Week
Date: July 22nd – 26th, 2009
Location: Chalong Bay
A week of exciting, international-standard yacht racing off Phuket’s East Coast. Plenty of social activities throughout the week.
August 2009
Por Tor Festival
Date: August 2009
Location: All Chinese Shrines on the Island
The 'Hungry Ghosts' festival is an important merit-making event for the ethnic Chinese. Special food, flowers and candles are offered to ancestors’ altars in order to 'feed the ghosts' that are said to have been released from hell for the month. Dates for 2009 Festival will be announced later.
7th Annual Kamala Go Surfing Contest
Date: August 2009
Location: Kamala Beach
www.phuketboardriders.com
The Kamala Go Surfing Contest is held at the northernmost end of Kamala Beach. This contest is in its seventh year and the contest dates will be announced later. It is organized by locals - members of the Kamala Go Surfing Club.
September 2009
9th Phuket Surfing Contest 2009
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| Surfing Contest in Kata Beach |
Date: September 2009
Location: Kata Beach
The Phuket Surfing Contest is held at Kata Beach, and has been running for the past eight years. The contest usually takes place in early September and surfing dates for 2009 will be announced later.
As usual, the event will feature five divisions: Long Board Open Division, Short Board Open Division, Grommet Division, Girls Division and Body Board Division.
There are cash prizes to be won.
Phuket Vegetarian Festival
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| Procession in Phuket town |
Date: September 2009
Location: Chinese Shrines on the Island
A colourful event held over a nine-day period in late September/early October, this celebrates the Chinese community's belief that abstinence from meat and various stimulants during the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar will help obtain good health and peace of mind.
Though the origins of the festival are unclear, it is thought that perhaps the festival was bought to Phuket by a wandering Chinese opera group who fell ill with malaria while performing on the island and who were miraculously healed through a strictly vegetarian diet.
November 2009
Loy Kratong Festival
Date: November 2nd, 2009
Location: Nationwide
A festival of quiet celebration, the origins of Loy Kratong are unclear, but it is believed that it started in Sukhothai, (north of Bangkok) one of the most powerful cities in Asia, around 800 years ago. O
n this particular night, on nearly every expanse of water, be it a river, lake or the ocean, you'll notice thousands of lights drifting across the water like fairy dreams.
Gently flickering, dipping and dancing in the breeze as they go, they make a spectacular sight. All of Phuket's major west coast beaches take part in Loy Kratong festivities, with a mix of locals and tourists. Nai Harn (on the large lake) and Patong usually have the most activity with locals visiting beaches like Kata and Karon.
December 2009
Laguna Phuket Triathlon 2009
Date: December 6th, 2009
Venue: Laguna Phuket
www.lagunaphukettriathlon.com
Southeast Asia’s premier multi-sport event, the Laguna Phuket Triathlon 2009, is scheduled for Sunday 6 December. Registration opens 1 April 2009. The Triathlon comprises a 1.8km swim, 55km cycle and 12km run.
Phuket King’s Cup Regatta
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| King's Cup regatta |
Date: December 2009
Location: Kata Beach
The Phuket King's Cup Regatta is Asia's biggest and most popular regatta. More than a regatta, the week-long event consists of great parties, great sailing and lots of fun.
Inaugurated in 1987 to celebrate the 60th birthday of His Majesty the King of Thailand, the event has been held every year since during the first week of December.
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