Phuket Vegetarian Festival draws 650,000 visitors and B5.7bn annually, report says

Phuket’s Vegetarian Festival attracts about 650,000 visitors each year and generates more than B5.7 billion in economic activity, according to a report on the island’s cultural and tourism impact.

Known locally as Jia Chai, the nine-day festival is held at more than 40 shrines across Phuket. The tradition, which dates back more than 200 years, has been registered as part of Thailand’s national intangible cultural heritage, the report said. It also supports about 4,500 local jobs.

The festival is centred on abstaining from meat and eating vegetarian food, with participants commonly wearing white and visiting shrines during the ninth month of the Chinese lunar calendar.

Phuket has been recognised as a “World Festival and Event City” and received the Grand Pinnacle Award from the International Festivals & Events Association, according to the report. The island is also a UNESCO City of Gastronomy.

Sansiri and Siam Commercial Bank (SCB) are continuing their collaboration with the festival for a 14th year in 2026 under the theme “Passing on goodness, growing sustainably”. The companies held a press conference at Jui Tui Tao Bo Keng Shrine in Phuket.

Sansiri chief executive Uthai Uthaiseangsuk said the company regarded Phuket as an important home and that the long-running collaboration reflected the role of community cooperation in supporting the island’s international standing.

As part of this year’s programme, Sansiri residents from 23 Phuket projects, customers and SCB employees cleaned six major shrines on 4-5 October 2026. The shrines were Sam Ong Hu Shrine in Cherngtalay, Sam Kong Shrine, Bang Niao Shrine, Bang Khu Sam Kong Tung Shrine, Jui Tui Tao Bo Keng Shrine and Kathu Shrine.

The programme also included a community product made with YAYEE, a Phuket fashion brand that uses batik fabric and Peranakan cultural influences. The “Scent of Legacy” sachets were made from leftover batik fabric by women prisoners and local older people, with the stated aim of reducing waste while providing skills and income.

The companies also supported local business BEANS Coffee Roaster, which supplied specially prepared vegetarian drinks to volunteers and participants during the activities.