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[title]From October 10-18 Phuket becomes a very different island. Shrines fill with worshippers, incense hangs heavy in the air and white-clad devotees gather for nine days of prayer, purification and ritual. For Phuket’s Chinese-Thai community, the Vegetarian Festival is one of the most important events of the year.
For most devotees, that means following a strict jay diet (a form of religious veganism), visiting shrines and taking part in religious ceremonies. For Kru Taa, it can mean walking barefoot through fire, spending six or seven hours in procession and having metal spikes pierced through her body. She does all of it while, in her words: ‘the deity Cheng Hoo is inside her.’
Born and raised in Phuket in a Thai-Hokkien Chinese family, Kru Taa says her connection to the Vegetarian Festival began before she was born. Her mother prayed at Chinese shrines and followed the festival while pregnant with her, and those traditions remained part of family life throughout her childhood.
Thirty years later, that connection took an extraordinary turn.
‘I had been sick for almost a month. When the festival started, something suddenly changed.’
When Cheng Hoo came through her
In 2007, an unexpected illness left Kru Taa bedbound for almost a month. She saw a doctor but was given no clear diagnosis and medication did little to help. Then, as the Vegetarian Festival began, after weeks with barely enough strength to get out of bed, something changed. She stood up and literally ran to a Chinese shrine in Cherng Talay.
‘When I arrived, Cheng Hoo came through me. After that I suddenly felt much stronger and my health improved.’
Kru Taa believes that was the moment she became a spirit medium for Cheng Hoo, the Chinese deity she continues to worship. Nineteen years later, the role has become one of the most important parts of her life, closely tied to both her faith and her family.
Under divine protection
Spirit mediums, known as ma song, are among the most striking participants in Phuket’s Vegetarian Festival. Devotees believe Chinese deities come through them during ceremonies, allowing them to perform physically extreme rituals while under divine protection. Despite how extreme the rituals can appear, the belief is that the deity protects the medium through the ceremony, allowing them to return to normal life afterwards.
For Kru Taa, the experience is intense but remarkably clear. ‘At the beginning we pray and invite Cheng Hoo into my body. I feel like I am in a trance. But during the rituals I’m fully aware and I don’t feel pain. Instead I feel stronger and more powerful.’
‘During the rituals I’m fully aware and I don’t feel pain. Instead I feel stronger and more powerful.’
Fire, steel and faith
That protection, she believes, is what allows her to undertake the festival’s most extreme rituals. Since 2007, she has walked barefoot through fire, spent up to seven hours in procession and undergone ritual piercing with metal spikes.
But the purpose goes far beyond endurance. ‘I do it because of my faith in Cheng Hoo and my belief that she protects me. The purpose is to cleanse the sins of people who have caused animals to suffer or die. It is also a way to show the power and dignity of the Chinese gods.’
‘I do it because of my faith in Cheng Hoo and my belief that she protects me.’
More than jay
Held during the first nine days of the ninth month of the Chinese lunar calendar, the festival changes dates each year. For nine days, devotees follow a strict jay diet, avoiding meat, seafood, dairy and strong-smelling ingredients such as garlic and onions, while also dressing in white, praying and observing religious practices intended to purify the body and mind.
For Kru Taa, preparation starts much earlier. She follows a vegetarian diet for a full month before the festival and spends time praying and meditating to prepare herself physically and mentally.
‘It’s a time to cleanse the body and mind. It’s a tradition that has been passed down for generations.’
Not just for show
The rituals are among the most photographed parts of the festival, but Kru Taa is aware that not everyone believes what they are seeing. ‘Some people think that rituals like piercing the body with sharp objects are just a performance and fake,’ she acknowledges.
For Kru Taa, the meaning is spiritual rather than theatrical. ‘Visitors can feel the magic and sacredness of the rituals. Some things are difficult to explain or prove, but they remain a powerful part of our tradition and beliefs.’
‘Some things are difficult to explain or prove, but they remain a powerful part of our tradition and beliefs.’
Keeping a 200-year-old Phuket tradition alive
The Vegetarian Festival has been observed in Phuket for around two centuries and has become one of the island’s most important Chinese-Thai traditions. Kru Taa has seen aspects of the festival change during her lifetime, but says its foundations remain intact.
One of the things that impresses her most is seeing younger generations continue to take part. For her, that matters because the festival is not only a religious tradition, but part of Phuket’s Chinese-Thai heritage and family life.
Her favourite moments are also among the simplest. ‘We have a procession through the town to bless the people who come to see the Chinese gods.’
For first-time visitors, her advice is simple. ‘Come experience the magic, the unique culture, traditions and spiritual ceremonies, and of course the spectacular street processions.’
Just do not expect a conventional vegetarian festival. Here, the food is only the beginning.
Phuket Vegetarian Festival 2026 runs October 10-18, with ceremonies taking place at Chinese shrines across Phuket.