Vegetarian Festival 2024, officially known as Nine Emperor Gods Festival (九皇勝會 / เทศกาลกินเจ), will take place for 10 days from 2 – 11 October 2024. Starting from the eve to the ninth day of the ninth month of the Chinese lunar calendar, devotees will observe a vegetarian diet as a form of body purification and a host of performances, processions and rituals will be held in commemoration of the event. The Taoist festival was brought into Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore by Chinese immigrants hundreds of years ago and has since been integrated into Thailand’s culture. It is celebrated across various parts of the country, notably in Phuket and Bangkok.
Religious and celebratory activities of the Jae Festival (as it is known in Thai) are the most intense in Phuket. To purify their souls, devotees participate in processions with piercings through their mouths and walk over hot coals, on top of keeping a vegetarian diet during this period.
These activities are hosted at over 38 Taoist shrines across the province. Here are five shrines in Phuket Town that will be holding street processions, along with the schedule of their key activities for this year:
The following are the routes the street procession will follow on their respective dates:
This is the list of the other Chinese Shrines in Phuket.
For more details on activities at 38 of the shrines, click here (7MB) to download the Phuket Vegetarian Festival 2024 Guide published by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Phuket Office.
The festival in Bangkok is primarily celebrated in Chinatown, Yaowarat. Preparations begin a week in advance, with vibrant yellow banners and flags prominently displayed throughout the area.
Religious rituals and activities will take place at Kwang Tung Shrine, located just across from one of the MRT station exits, from 2 – 11 October 2024 (Wednesday – Friday).
Street markets and shopping malls in Bangkok will hold food fairs throughout the festival, offering vegetarian and vegan dishes in a variety of international cuisines. One can find vegetarian food of various cuisines, ranging from Chinese, Thai, Western, to Halal at these major food fairs.
The Vegetarian Festival in Pattaya will take place at the Poi Sian Jow Shrine (Sawang Boribun Dhammasathan Foundation) from 2 – 12 October 2024 (Wednesday – Saturday).
The festivities kick off on 2 October 2024 (Wednesday) with a morning ritual at 9:19am to invite the Gods of Heaven and Earth. In the afternoon, at 3:19pm, a grand procession will depart from the shrine, making its way through Pattaya to the beach near Lan Pho Public Park to welcome the Nine Emperor Gods (known locally as Kew Ong Huk Chow in Chinese Teochew dialect).
Throughout the festival, from 2 – 12 October 2024, additional prayers and activities will be held, allowing residents and visitors to make merit and seek blessings. Everyone is invited to visit the shrine and observe a vegetarian diet during this period.
Celebrations, street processions, religious rituals, and vegetarian meals will also be available on selected days during this period in the following locations across Thailand:
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