Phuket Festivals & Events

2012 Laguna Phuket International Marathon

Date: June 10, 2012
Location: Bangtao Beach 
www.phuketmarathon.com

This year’s Laguna Phuket International Marathon, the seventh, is expected to attract more competitors. From its humble beginnings with less than 2,000 participants the event has grown to a size of more than 5,000 participants, with an average of 1,500 international participants from 43 countries. The event will again feature a Marathon, Half Marathon, 10 Km Run, 5 Km Walk and a 2 Km Kids Run.

Phuket Race Week

Date: July 18-22, 2012
Location: Chalong Bay
www.phuketraceweek.com 

A week of exciting, international-standard yacht racing off Phuket’s East Coast. Plenty of social activities throughout the week. Now in its ninth year, the regatta is run over six or seven classes, including cruising/bareboat/charter yachts. It’s competitive, high-octane racing for the serious boats and fun courses around the islands for the less serious racers. Phuket Raceweek’s gained a reputation as the most exciting and fastest-growing Regatta in Asia.

Por Tor Festival

Date: August 2012
Location: All Chinese Shrines on the Island

The 'Hungry Ghost' festival is an important merit-making event for the ethnic Chinese. Special food, flowers and candles are offered to ancestors on altars.  Other offerings are made to 'feed the ghosts without relatives' that are said to have been released from hell for the month. Experience this beautiful event for yourself at any Chinese Shrine on the island during the festival. Or if you want to enjoy one of the biggest Hungry Ghost celebrations in Phuket head to the fresh market on Ranong Road. The whole market and nearby areas will be colourfully decorated and feature interesting activities from about noon until midnight including the traditional merit-making ceremony, lion dances , magic shows, live concerts, cabaret shows and many more stage shows. Also expect to see plentiful local food stands during the event. Dates for 2012 Festival will be announced later.

Phuket Vegetarian Festival

Date: October 15 - 23, 2012 
Location: Chinese Shrines on the Island

A colourful event held over a nine-day period in 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 while performing on the island and who were miraculously healed through a strictly vegetarian diet. Read More...

Loy Kratong Festival

Date: November 28, 2011
Location: Nationwide

A festival of quiet celebration, the origins of Loy Kratong are unclear, but it is believed that it started in Sukhothai, (north of Bangkok) one of the most powerful cities in Asia, around 800 years ago. On this particular night, on nearly every expanse of water, be it a river, lake or the ocean, you'll notice thousands of lights drifting across the water like fairy dreams. 

Gently flickering, dipping and dancing in the breeze as they go, they make a spectacular sight. All of Phuket's major west coast beaches take part in Loy Kratong festivities, with a mix of locals and tourists. Nai Harn (on the large lake) and Patong usually have the most activity with locals visiting beaches like Kata and Karon. Read More...

Laguna Phuket Triathlon 2012

Date: November 25, 2012
Venue: Laguna Phuket

Southeast Asia's premier multi-sport event, the Laguna Phuket Triathlon, has been going on for almost two decades. The event comprises a 1.8km swim, 55km cycle and 12km run. Over the past seventeen years the popular race has attracted thousands of age group athletes as well as triathlon legends Mark Allen, Greg Welch, Craig Alexander, Paula Newby-Fraser, Michellie Jones and Chrissie Wellington, to name just a few.

Phuket King's Cup Regatta

Date: December 2012
Venue: Kata Beach

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.  Read More...

Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship

Date: December 2, 2012
Venue: Laguna Beach Resort, Cherngtalay
Contact: www.ironmanphuket.com

The next Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship is expected again in December 2, 2012. The race, at Laguna Phuket Resort in Cherngtalay, will be the culmination of WTC's new Asia-Pacific Ironman 70.3 Event Series. Also, the Laguna Phuket Resort is expected to be the permanent home of this Championship. The race consists of a 1.9km swim, a 90km bike ride and a 21.1km run.