Thai Festival Features Extreme Body Pierving

[lemon]

Source - Ananova.com

Worshippers have gathered in Thailand for one of the world's most spectacular religious festivals.

The annual Vegetarian Festival in Phuket is famed for acts of self mutilation by devotees who believe they are possessed.

They include extreme acts of body-piercing which this year has seen members of Chinese Shrine of Jui Tui pierce their faces with objects including knives, power tools and even bicycles.

Devotional acts carried out at the festival also include fire walking, bladed ladder climbing and hot oil bathing.

The festival begins on the first evening of the ninth lunar month and lasts for nine days.

This year's festival is expected to be especially popular as it coincides with Queen Sirikit's 72nd birthday celebrations and the 100th anniversary of the Bang Niew Shrine.

...goes to show there are freaks in all cultures...

[gregor200]

I think, I will stay with my steak once a week...

[IamMaiC]

yikes some things are better left to the imigination

[Wolfie]

Its pretty hardcore... seen it once, how people do this is beyond belief!

Its the kind of thing you need to see... once.

If your in phuket, head into phuket town, i think the festival ends tomorrow (friday) but im not sure...

Well worth a visit.

[fatter than harry]

At last I know which bastard stole my bike!!

[IamMaiC]

Its pretty hardcore... seen it once, how people do this is beyond belief!

Its the kind of thing you need to see... once.

If your in phuket, head into phuket town, i think the festival ends tomorrow (friday) but im not sure...

Well worth a visit.

Wolfie I'll pass

[LadyinRed]

Thanks for the photos - great insight and great (food) festival as well. Definitely my second favourite holiday in Thailand (Songkran is still unbeatable).

[igotworms]

Thanks for the photos - great insight and great (food) festival as well. Definitely my second favourite holiday in Thailand (Songkran is still unbeatable).

I stay indoors for Songkran. My dormant temper seems to flare up when the meat-wallets lining the road throw buckets of ice water at my head while I pass by on my bike. It's my least favourite day in Thailand, hell_, in the whole world. I would prefer a picnic with Morman fundamentalists over the near death experiences of Songkran.

[Wolfie]

I learnt that one early...

On foot only on Songkran. Its the best festival Thailand has, IMHO

[axl]

3 dead, 424 hurt...

Definetely: on foot!

[LadyinRed]

I ride my moped mostly except during Song Kran.

I jumped onto some Thai's truck and went to do the rounds. They then dropped me off wherever I want (1st year here I dropped off in Patong - big mistake).

Usually they come back to the same pick up point after the rounds are done, the men (and girls) are drunk and the kids are hungry. I guess I'm lucky in this way - to have a fantastic celebration with the locals themselves.

Gather together hire a truck and have a laugh - Thing is, u have to find the guy willing to drive and not drink!

[igotworms]

I'll still pass on it. Its a childish festival that has totally lost its meaning. Even on foot its dangerous, with all the drunk motorists cruising around. Songkran day is drink-at-home day for me.

[fatter than harry]

One billion firecrackers, one billion baht

PHUKET CITY: Tonight marks the end of the Phuket Vegetarian Festival 2004, when believers will bid farewell to thousands of Chinese warrior gods as they return to their celestial realm.

Sending them on their way at 10 pm will be the explosions of no fewer than a billion firecrackers, according to the official Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) guide to the festival.

The center of activity will be Lan Nawamin Square on Phuket Rd. The road will be blocked all the way from there to Saphan Hin for the festivities.

Suwalai Pinpradab, Director of the TAT Region 4 Office in Phuket, said this year’s festival has been a great success, with more tourists than ever attending, both from other parts of Thailand and from abroad.

She estimated the income generated by the event at 1 billion baht – or one baht for eac h of tonight’s firecrackers.

“We have had [ethnic Chinese] from Malaysia and Singapore coming in big groups to make merit at Chinese shrines and take part in other activities. Hotel occupancy rates in Phuket Town reached 100% over the last four days.”

Greater awareness of the festival in those countries and increased availability of package tours was largely responsible for the dramatic numbers, she said

Following the departure of the deities at about midnight, believers will spend the night reveling in the activities that they have denied themselves over the past 11 days – eating meat, drinking alcohol and, perhaps, with luck, a little intercourse. It is also hoped that khun Pornpan will return FTH's bicycle.

To see picture/s related to this story, please go to http://www.phuketgazette.net/news/index.as...isplay=1Brought to you by:

The Phuket Gazette

18:03 local time (GMT +7)