Phuket Vegetarian Festival 2006

Apparently some years ago a group of Chinese workers on Phuket island were hit by a very nasty sickness and performed their own ritual to ward off the evil spirits. The ritual was succesful, they returned to good health, and similar rituals became adopted by many other practising Buddhists on the island.

Over time these rituals became an annual festival of spiritual cleansing for devotees, known by many now as the Phuket vegetarian festival, during which period animal flesh is not consumed by many devotees.

Masses turn out over successive days for the rituals across the island, a large proportion being in the form of processions weaving through the streets for hours in Phuket town, ending at the Buddhist temple Saphan Hin.



Devotees engaging in ritual self mortification













Firecrackers warding off evil spirits



Ignition!

Farang Life, Monkey Love

Phuket Town


Tuk tuks near the old markets. Funky little buzz boxes ready to take tourists all over the island, though not the cheapest of public transport.

"Mr Shades", motorbike taxi man, Phuket town.

Old colonial style mansion


Rain damaged poster under the verandah of a closed shop.




Soi Rommani, once filled with brothels and opium dens frequented by many of the early Chinese mine workers on the island.

Tessabal Wat Kajorn Rangsan, the public primary school right near the markets where I taught English in Phuket town. Sometimes noisy and raucous. Some students were angels, others almost demonic...

Educating Thai students in the comic style of Monty Python...

Little House in Thalang





There were a few! Unfortunately no flyscreen on our bedroom windows to keep the mosquitoes out so we sleep under the fan/air conditioner.




Our subdivision is surrounded by rubber plantations, a little way off the crazy highway through the central north of Phuket island. Very tranquil, with the twittering of birds and only the occasional buzz of scooters, or Chinese crackers going off for ceremonial purposes. We are one of only two Farang (westerner) households in the whole neighbourhood.

Some monkeys sighted around these parts...


Go near his coconuts and this monkey attacks!
Probably grumpy after a long day climbing up and down trees.
Roadside markets down Chao Fah east near Phuket town.


Lust in the jungle? Si Rae island, Phuket.


Big bums or balls, they're certainly stylish!





Penang Hill, Malaysia


Keeping cool on the Phi Phi islands off Krabi (Thailand)