The ritual, held by Lor Rong Shrine – known locally as Aam Sui Bun Tong – is one of the festival’s most revered traditions. Despite light rain, thousands of devotees lined the streets to pay their respects as spirit mediums, shrine members and followers joined the long procession through Phuket Town.
Along the route to Saphan Hin, residents and shop owners set up altars outside their homes to welcome the passing palanquins, offering prayers and remaining silent to receive blessings from the deity Kiew Ong Tai Te, believed to bring happiness and prosperity.
The parade was led by flag and banner bearers, followed by the small ‘Cai Bie’ and large ‘Tu Lian’ palanquins – the latter representing the deity’s residence.
This year’s festival was held with a more subdued tone following the passing of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, the Queen Mother. All participating shrines agreed to reduce the scale of festivities and noise during processions as a gesture of mourning. Spirit mediums were also asked to use only traditional, smaller weapons in keeping with the solemn mood.
The day’s ceremonies will conclude tonight with the ‘Farewell to the Gods’ ritual, taking place at Saphan Hin from 10pm to midnight.
All participating shrines will converge at the beachfront in front of Kiew Thian Keng Shrine at Saphan Hin to send the Kiew Ong Tai Te and the Jade Emperor back to heaven, marking the end of the nine-day festival.
As part of the closing rites, once the divine send-off is complete, shrine lights will be extinguished and gates closed in reverence. The final ritual of lowering the ‘Ko Teng’ poles at all participating shrines will be held tomorrow (Oct 30) at 4pm, symbolising the formal end of the Phuket Vegetarian Festival 2025.
The annual festival, which draws both local devotees and international visitors, celebrates purification and merit-making through a strict vegetarian diet, processions, and acts of devotion.
Next year’s Phuket Vegetarian Festival will be held from Oct 10-18, 2026.