Whether they're held to honour a religious belief or just for fun, the festivals of Phuket are exciting, sometimes bizarre spectacles and are 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 nine 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, Songkran and Chinese New Year, are part of nationwide celebrations.