Kio Thian Keng Shrine is a colourful Chinese shrine that is set on the seashore inside Saphan Hin public park in Phuket Town. It’s a place of worship for the local Chinese-Thai community, and it plays an important role as the site of the final farewell to the gods during the annual Phuket Vegetarian Festival.
Hok Nguan Kong Shrine is a Chinese temple near the Surin Clock Circle in Phuket Town, founded more than 80 years ago by the Chinese-Thai community in Phuket. Hok Nguan Kong Shrine’s design features many traditional Chinese motifs, including columns wrapped with large dragon images, wall murals with tigers, and bright red and yellow colours throughout
Lai Thu Tao Bo Keng is one of the oldest Chinese shrines in Phuket, and many believe it was the birthplace of the Phuket Vegetarian Festival nearly two centuries ago, 1825 to be precise. The shrine is located in the subdistrict of Kathu in the island’s interior, between Phuket Town and Patong Beach.
Bang Neow Shrine in Phuket Town is one of Phuket’s oldest and most revered Chinese shrines. It’s one of the main shrines taking part in the annual Phuket Vegetarian Festival It is a place of worship and merit-making activity for the local Chinese-Thai community throughout the year.
Lim Hu Tai Su is a Chinese Taoist shrine on the north side of Phuket Town, also known as Sam Kong Shrine, for the neighbourhood in which it’s found. Though not as well known by visitors as larger Chinese shrines like Jui Tui Shrine in Phuket’s Old Town area, Sam Kong Shrine is a revered place of worship for the local community. It’s become a key part of the Phuket Vegetarian Festival when it hosts several ceremonies and a procession during the annual 9-day event.
Jui Tui Shrine (Kew Ong) is one of the oldest and most important on Phuket Island. It plays a significant role during the famous Phuket Vegetarian Festival, usually held in October and November. The festival dates use the Lunar Calendar, and the festival’s exact dates change every year.
Phuket Chinese New Year 2026 falls on February 17, marking the start of the Year of the Fire Horse. This is a particularly special celebration because the Fire Horse only appears once every 60 years in the Chinese zodiac cycle.
What are the best party places for New Year’s Eve in Phuket? This is a big question that is coming up soon. New Year is a day like no other, and this is the place to be! Phuket is pretty much a party all year round, so you can expect some serious happening all around the island.
The Phuket Vegetarian Festival runs during the ninth lunar month, marking one of Thailand’s most spectacular cultural celebrations. This nine-day Taoist festival transforms Phuket into a spiritual sanctuary where thousands of devotees in white clothing honour the Nine Emperor Gods through dramatic processions, firewalking ceremonies, and extreme body piercing rituals
Songkran Festival Phuket happens on April 13 to 15, 2024. The dates vary depending on Thailand’s regions, and the festival can last several days in the north. Songkran is the Thai New Year, which occurs when the sun moves from Pisces to Aries.
Loy Krathong is a significant festival occurring every year in Thailand; it is even popular in surrounding countries. Everyone celebrates it on the evening of the full moon of the 12th month in the traditional Thai lunar calendar, November 5th, 2025.
In case you are coming to Phuket in October, here is a Phuket Vegetarian Festival Schedule and Calendar of each day’s event, in which temple each event will occur, and when and where the famous processions will happen. Remember to bring a mask for the smoke and ear protection as the firecrackers sound will leave you deaf for a day.
Phuket festivals play an essential role in island life. The history of Phuket goes back a long way, and the whole year is peppered with many traditional festivals or newly created events.
The Shrine of the Serene Light is a beautifully decorated Chinese Temple on Phang Nga Road, one of the most famous streets of Phuket Town. It used to be ‘the little hidden Chinese temple’ tucked away at the end of a small path, right under your nose.
There are quite a few Chinese shrines in Phuket, and each has its own characteristics and unique features, which always offer excellent photo opportunities. The large ones are very popular during the Chinese New Year in February or the Phuket Vegetarian Festival in October.
Paradise complex in Patong Beach has been the heart of the Phuket Gay party zone for more than twenty years. I don’t know if the fancy name had any influence on the choice of location, but it’s really easy to find, right at the foot of The Royal Paradise Hotel, a 24-floor tower erected in the middle of it like a lighthouse.
