Phuket Events and Festivals

(Phuket, Thailand)

One of the most beautiful and popular resorts in the whole of Thailand, there is always something going on in Phuket, with plenty of festivals, seasonal events and things to do, suiting all visitors, regardless of ages. Highlights include the Phuket International Blues Festival and the national celebrations during the Chinese New Year, both of which take place during the month of February.

Many people staying in Phuket during the summer months will be able to enjoy the mouth-watering Seafood Festival, the cheering spectators watching the Phuket International Marathon, and also the increasingly popular Phuket Surfing Contest, held each year next to Kata Beach. For most, the main festivals in Phuket are the city's numerous sailing regattas and yachting events, with the King's Cup Regatta each December always being a crowd puller.

Phuket National Public Holidays

• 1st January - New Year's Day
• 6th April - Chakri Day
• 1st May - International Labour Day
• 5th May - Coronation Day
• Mid-May - Visakha Puja (wisaakhà buuchaa)
• Late July - Khao Phansa (khâo phansaa)
• 12th August - Queen's Birthday
• 23rd October - Chulalongkorn Day
• 5th December - King's Birthday
• 10th December - Constitution Day

Phuket Calendar of Festivals and Events 2014 / 2015

January

• New Year's Day - January 1st, with strong western influences, including various parties and entertainment for everyone

February

• Phuket International Blues Festival - mid-February, with a number of local and international blue bands performing around Karon Beach, together with plenty of food stalls serving tasty food
• Phang Nga Bay Regatta - mid-February, a popular sailing event with large numbers of sailors stopping off at Phuket to join in the festivities
• Old Phuket Festival - late February, centrally located celebrations, with several roads closing to provide more space for dancing, music, circus performers and other entertainment
• Chinese New Year - late February / early March, colourful dragon processions take place all over Phuket City, culminating in a popular fireworks display

March

• Thao Thep Krasatri-Thao Sri Suntorn Festival - mid-March, celebrating the heroines who defended the island of Phuket at the end of the 18th century
• Bangkok Chess Club Open - late March, an unusual and yet well-attended competition in Phuket, with prizes and a number of fun related events

April

• Gay Festival - early April, a four-day festival attracting crowds of gay men and lesbians, who arrive to enjoy the celebrations, numerous street parties, beach activities and outrageous parades
• Bike Week - mid-April, first hosted in 1991 by the Phuket Riders Club, this prominent cycling event gets bigger every year, with the route passing by much of Phuket's most beautiful coastal scenery
• Lighthouse Phuket International Cricket Sixes Tournament - mid-April, attracting some big names in the world of cricket, including players from the UK
• Songkran Festival - mid-April, one of the most notable festivals in Thailand, featuring water throwing and lots of other fun events, which celebrate the lunar New Year
• Turtle Releasing Festival - mid-April, many turtles and other animals are released as part of the Songkran festivities

May

• Phuket International 10s Rugby Tournament - late May, attracting teams from all over the world, who compete for the Clive Williamson Memorial Trophy at Karon Beach
• Seafood Festival - late May, with a range of freshly cooked local seafood, including lobsters, crabs, octopus, squid, clams and all kinds of fish, together with vegetables, fruit and juice drinks

June

• Phuket International Marathon - mid-June, various running events, all of which starts at the Laguna Phuket Resort, with large crowds of cheering spectators

July

• Phuket Race Week - late July, week-long yacht racing and other sailing events take place around Phuket's coastline
• Halal Food / Hilal Town Festival - late July, Muslim event held around the Heroines' Monument in Thalang and featuring various events, including a fashion show, live music and singing

August

• Por Tor Festival - late August / early September, often known as the 'Hungry Ghosts' festival, with offers of local delicacies, turtle-shaped cakes, flowers and gifts to ghosts, held each year in Phuket City

September

• Phuket Surfing Contest - throughout September, with strong waves at this time of the year attracting many surfers, based around the coastline off Kata Beach

October

• Vegetarian Festival - late October, an event with clear Chinese origins, where many locals choose to eat only vegetarian food for nine days. Phuket's Vegetarian Festival also features a range of street entertainment, parades and even walking on hot coals

November

• Phuket Carnival (Patong Carnival) - early November, often referred to as Patong Carnival and featuring a range of live music (including jazz), art exhibitions, sporting events and sumptuous Thai cuisine
• Loi Krathong Water Festival - mid-November, night-time moonlit event, where lotus-shaped boats and baskets are filled with flowers or candles, and then floated on rivers and lakes. Also includes barbecues, breathtaking fireworks displays and other festivities
• Phuket Soccer 7s - late November, particularly fun international soccer tournament with short games and plenty of drinking
• Annual Phuket Sportfishing Classic - throughout November, a chance to catch some big fish and win some big prize money. Expect to see plenty of barracuda, marlin, tuna and more, held around Chalong Bay
• Loy Kratong or Full Moon Day - throughout November, with a procession of small floats, decorated with colourful flowers, leaves and candles, based in Phuket City and also around the main beaches

December

• Phuket Triathlon - early December, attended by literally hundreds of international athletes, who come to Phuket to compete in this combination of swimming, cycling and long-distance running
• King's Cup Regatta - mid-December, one of the island's most popular sailing regattas, with large numbers of yachts arriving and congregating at various points around the coastline. Various parties are held as part of this extremely popular regatta, which dates back to 1987
• Phuket Invitational Superyacht Rendezvous - late December, stunning yachts sail into the Amanpuri Resort for gala dinners and partying
• Phuket International Marine Expo (PIMEX) - throughout December, major boat show held at the Boat Lagoon, in conjunction with the King's Cup Regatta