| Phuket Events & Festivals 2010 |
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Planning your holiday to coincide with one of Phuket's many events and festivals could make all the difference between a good holiday and a really memorable one. There are important events scattered throughout the year, so check if your visit to Phuket will coincide with anything you'd be interested in.
The Vegetarian Festival, Other lively and colourful events unique to Phuket include the Phuket King's Cup Regatta and Phuket Bike Week, while others, such as Loy Kratong and Songkran . Chinese New Year, are part of nationwide celebrations.
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Phuket International Boat Show 2010 (PIMEX)
The Phuket International Boat Show is a marine lifestyle exhibition featuring marine tourism products and services, yacht brokers, luxury real estate and other related products from Phuket, the rest of Thailand, and around the world.
Time: 11am - 8pm
Where: Royal Phuket Marina
Further information can be found at http://www.phuketboatshow.com/
For more info event and festivals in Thailand visit: www.tourismthailand.org
Contact: Tourism Authority of Thailand Phuket
Tel: +66 (0) 76-212213 |
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Phang Nga Bay Regatta 2010
A fun-filled four days of racing in between the islands of beautiful Phang Nga Bay and Krabi. Perfect for families and the less serious racers. Held around Chinese New Year, there is a party at a different beach venue each night. See Phang Nga Bay Regatta for more info.
Date: 3rd-7th Feb 2010
Vanue: Phang Nga Bay
website:www.bayregatta.com |
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Chinese New Year in Phuket 2010
Throughout Phuket town, during New Year you'll see Chinese houses with their living rooms decorated with vases of flowers, platters of oranges and tangerines and a tray with eight varieties of dried sweet fruit. The entrances of many shops and houses will be festooned in red banners and decorations to encourage luck and happiness during the coming year. Tourism Authority of Thailand Phuket office (TAT) and Phuket City organize the annually Chinese New Year celebration at the public park next to TAT office on Phuket Road with many colorful shows including the dragon dance from China. More information, please contact Tel +66 (0) 76-212213.
Date: February 14th, 2010
Venue: Phuket Town
For more info visit: www.tourismthailand.org
Contact: Tourism Authority of Thailand Phuket
Tel: +66 (0) 76-212213 |
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Songkran Festival
Beginning on the 13th of April Thai people all over the country celebrate the Thai New Year, the most important holiday on the Thai calendar. The holiday is best known for revellers playfully splashing water on each other and dabing scented powder on each others faces as a new year blessing. Over the years this has escalated into a huge water fight where anyone is fair game. People roam the streets armed with high pressure water pistols or stand by the side of the road with buckets and hoses, ready to drench any passer-by. If you venture out during this period, the 13th in particular, expect to get soaked!
Traditionally, however, Songkran is a time of cleaning and renewal. During Songkran Thais perform religious rituals such as cleaning Buddha images, giving alms to the monks and going to the temple to pray. Songkran is also a time for families. Many people return home over the Songkran holiday and pay respect to their elders by sprinkling scented water over their hands. The festival is a 3-day public holiday.
Date: April 13th – 15th, 2010
Location: Nationwide
Contact: Tourism Authority of Thailand Phuket office
For more info visit: www.tourismthailand.org |
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16th Annual Phuket Bike Week 2010
Now in its 16th year, the annual Phuket Bike Week is one of the biggest motorcycle events in Southeast Asia. Get to see an amazing collection of Harleys, Hondas and superbikes at this annual event. Music, contests, parties and charity rides around the island. Fun for bikers and hangers-on alike.
Date: April 9th – 13th, 2010
Location: Patong Beach
For more info visit: www.phuketbikeweek.com
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2010 Laguna Phuket International Marathon
This year’s Laguna Phuket International Marathon, the fifth, is expected to attract some 5,000 competitors, of 40 countries. The event will again feature a Marathon, Half Marathon, 10 Km Run, 5 Km Walk and a 2 Km Kids Run.
Date: June 2010
Venue: Bangtao Beach
www.phuketmarathon.com
Thailand Surf Series 2010
The inaugural Thailand Surf Series (TSS) incorporates the three main surfing contests held in Phuket each monsoon season into a series of connected events in June, August and September. Under the rules of the International Surfing Association, the Thailand Surf Series will become part of the ASC (Asian Surfing Championship) ranking system, offering a platform for Thai surfers to compete with other Asian surfers in meets around the region. The events expect to have participants from 15 countries and will feature four divisions: Short Board, Long Board, Groms (Kids) and Women. TSS is organized by the Phuket Boardriders Club and sponsored by both government and local businesses.
The Phuket Boardriders Club is a non-profit organization formed in 2002 to strengthen local surfing talent and create camaraderie and friendship between local and visiting surfers alike.
Date: June 2010
Location: Kalim Beach
www.thaisurfseries.com, www.phuketboardriders.com |
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Six Senses Phuket Race Week
A week of exciting, international-standard yacht racing off Phuket’s East Coast. Plenty of social activities throughout the week. Now in its seventh year, 33 boats entered the event in 2009 with approximately 400 participants, as entrants from around the world helped maintain Six Senses Phuket Raceweek’s reputation as the most exciting and fastest-growing Regatta in Asia.
Date: July 21st – 25th, 2010
Location: Chalong Bay
www.phuketraceweek.com
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Por Tor Festival
This Chinese ancestor worship festival takes place in the seventh Chinese lunar month, which is when the Chinese believe that the spirits of the dead are released from the underworld. The Chinese communities in Phuket make food offerings to appease the hungry spirits and to pay their respects. Turtle-shaped cakes are a popular offering as turtles represent longevity. The worshippers believe that these turtle cakes will help prolong their own life. Events take place around Phuket's Chinese shrines at different times over a 15-day period. Like most other festivals Chinese Phuket, there is a lot of food, as well as stage performances.
Date: August 2010
Location: All Chinese Shrines on the Island
Thailand Surf Series 2010
Continuing with the second (August) meet of the inaugural Thailand Surf Series (TSS). See June event above for details.
Date: August 2010
Location: Kamala Beach, Phuket
www.thaisurfseries.com, www.phuketboardriders.com |
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Thailand Surf Series 2010
Continuing with the third (September) meet of the inaugural Thailand Surf Series (TSS). See June event for details.
Date: September 2010
Location: Kata Beach, Phuket
www.thaisurfseries.com, www.phuketboardriders.com |
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Phuket Vegetarian Festival
A colourful event held over a nine-day period in late September/early October, this celebrates the Chinese community's belief that abstinence from meat and various stimulants during the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar will help obtain good health and peace of mind.
Though the origins of the festival are unclear, it is thought that perhaps the festival was bought to Phuket by a wandering Chinese opera group who fell ill with malaria while performing on the island and who were miraculously healed through a strictly vegetarian diet.
Date: September 2010
Location: Chinese Shrines on the Island
More info:www.phuketvegetarian.com |
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Loy Kratong Festival
Loi Krathong takes place on the night of the full moon in November and is the most magical of all Thai festivals. Small lotus-shaped boats woven from banana leaves, called krathongs, are floated on water. These vessels contain small flowers, candles, incense and offerings to thank Mother Water for providing water for them to use. Thai people also believe that if they place a strand of hair or nail clipping in the krathong their troubles will be carried away with it.
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In Phuket, many people go to Saphan Hin on the edge of Phuket City to launch their krathongs. The beach at Patong is also popular. There you can also float paper lanterns into the sky. Watching hundreds of these glowing lanterns drifting up into the sky over the sea is an enchanting way to spend an evening.
Date: November 21st, 2010
Location: Nationwide
For more info visit: www.tatnews.org |
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Phuket King's Cup Regatta
The Phuket King's Cup Regatta is Asia's biggest and most popular regatta. More than a regatta, the week long event consists of great parties, great sailing and lots of fun. Inaugurated in 1987 to celebrate the 60th birthday of His Majesty the King of Thailand, the event has been held every year since during the first week of December.
With the Royal Patronage of His Majesty the King, the Regatta is organised by the Phuket King's Cup Regatta Organizing Committee under the auspices of the Royal Varuna Yacht Club, in conjunction with the Yacht Racing Association of Thailand, the Royal Thai Navy and the Province of Phuket.
Date: December 2010
Location: Kata Beach
For more info visit: www.kingscup.com |
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Laguna Phuket Triathlon 2010
Southeast Asia's premier multi-sport event, the Laguna Phuket Triathlon 2010, is scheduled for early December. Registration date to be announced shortly. The Triathlon comprises a 1.8km swim, 55km cycle and 12km run.
Date: December 2010
Venue: Laguna Phuket
www.lagunaphukettriathlon.com
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