Page 77 - (DK Eyewitness) Top 10 Travel Guide - Phuket

Fairs and Festivals ❮❮ 75

Por Tor Festival
7 TOP 10 SPORTING EVENTS
Aug
During the annual “Hungry Ghosts” 1 Muay Thai
festival, offerings of special cakes, No visit here is complete without
candles, and flowers are made to witnessing this martial art form.
deceased ancestors, who are 2 The Bay Regatta
believed to revisit their earthly Feb
homes on this day. Chinese shrines More relaxed than the King’s Cup,
serve as the center of the festival. these races are popular with visitors.
3 Phuket Bike Week
Apr
This festival involves music, parties,
and awesome motorbikes.
4 Phuket International
Cricket Sixes Tournament
Apr
This brings international cricketers
into competition in Karon.
5 Phuket International
Rugby Tournament
May
The three-day tournament draws
teams from Australia and Asia.
6 Laguna Phuket
International Marathon
Lion dancer at the Por Tor Festival Jun
Phuket Vegetarian
8 The marathon starts at Bang Tao Beach.
7 Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket
Festival
Late Sept/early Oct • www.phuket Race Week
Jul
vegetarian.com A week of parties and yacht races, this
This nine-day festival serves to festival attracts many participants.
“purify” parti cipants and bring them
good health, but has nothing to do 8 Phuket Surfing Contest
Sept
with food. At Chinese shrines in At Kata Beach, this contest lets surfers
Phuket Town, fire walking, and vie for more than B100,000 in prizes.
extreme acts of body piercing 9 Laguna Phuket Triathalon
and self-mortification take place. Nov
A 1-mile (2-km) swim, 34-mile (55-km)
Loy Krathong
9 cycle race, and 8-mile (13-km) run.
Late Oct/early Nov
Sins of the previous year float away, 10 King’s Cup Regatta
Dec
as Thais pay homage to the guardian The regatta began in 1987, to mark
spirit of water. Small banana-leaf HM King Bhumibol’s 60th birthday.
vessels are decorated with flowers
and candles. If a person’s boat floats,
they will enjoy good luck for the year.
Chao Ley Boat
0
Floating Festival
Nov
At this festival, participants float
ceremonial vessels hoping to receive
happiness and prosperity, and ward
off bad luck. Held in Chao Ley (sea
gypsy) villages, the festival also pays Surfer, Phuket Surfing Contest
tribute to the Chao Ley’s ancestors.

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