Phuket 2011: Events and Festivals

Approaching the end of the year, I thought it would be a good idea to highlight some of the events in various areas of Thailand in 2011. Every Thursday this month I will present a rundown of events and festivals in different areas of Thailand. This week- Phuket.

Events in Phuket in 2011

The popular and beautiful island of Phuket has as busy, and as exciting, a schedule in 2011 as previous years, with its dynamic mix of Thai cultural events and modern leisure activities.

Starting with that epitome of modern leisure, the cruise yacht, will find a multitude at the Royal Phuket Marina from the 6th to 9th January, for the Phuket International Boat Show, PIMEX 2011. This event has been developed to encourage the growth of the marine industry in South Eastern Asia, and against its typically picturesque Thai backdrop will be demonstrations, exhibitions and dramatic nautical displays.

The Chinese New Year bounces in in style at Phuket on the 3rd February, as the Year of the Rabbit is proclaimed across the Chinese Old Town. Many a house and street will be bedecked in red, and visitors will be weighed under platters of oranges, tokens of happiness of the arrival of the New Year.

There’s more than one New Year to celebrate in Thailand – Songkran Festival, April the 13th to 15th, gives Thai’s the chance to welcome in their New Year – and to get very wet in the process! Songkran is an exuberant time, with much water throwing antics in the streets, as well as live music and stage shows at many hotels and beaches.

Be part of an amazing spectacle and give something back to Thailand’s natural wonders, by attending the Mai Khao Beach Songkran Turtle Release Fair. This is held by the Turtle foundation in celebration of the Thai New Year in April.

Phuket amateur Golf week takes place from 24th – 30th July 2011. The tournament round one tees off on day two at the Loch Palm Golf Club; this palm tree lined course is in a valley of tropical hills and offers the amateur a fair chance of success as long as you can hold your nerve around the vast loch.

Round two is at the island’s oldest course, Phuket Country Club’s Old Course, which is the first championship level course in Phuket. This graceful course cuts its way through limestone and hills and forest, and is a delight to play.

Tournament round three will take place at Blue Canyon Lake golf course, where water is an element in seventeen of the holes; the course comprises of natural jungle contours and wet canyons created by old open cast tin mining; Very much a rewarding course. The final tournament round and prize giving ceremony will be held at the stunning Red Mountain Golf Club.

In October the annual Phuket Vegetarian festival will take place; this is a nine day Chinese event that was allegedly bought to Thailand by a wandering Chinese opera group, who were laid low down by malaria whilst visiting the island. Tradition has it that they were cured by a strictly vegetarian diet. This has since evolved into a colorful event that promotes the cleansing of mind and body, and dramatic displays of fire-walking, piercing and climbing of sword ladders – who said vegetarians were dull!

Find a Phuket hotel from which to base your adventures in 2011.

You might also like:

• Chiang Mai 2011: Events and Festivals
• Koh Samui 2011: Events and Festivals
• 9 Five Star Phuket Resorts in December 2011 for under USD 289.
• 9 Five star Phuket resorts under USD142 in January 2011