Scale of Phuket vegetarian festival still unclear

PHUKET: Organisers are still pondering the scale of this year's Phuket vegetarian festival as Covid-19 continues to spread through the community, provincial governor Narong Woonciew said on Wednesday.

This year's festival is planned for Oct 6-14.

Mr Narong said representatives of some Chinese associations and shrines in Phuket had already visited him to discuss the matter and more were expected.

The governor said the scale of the festival would depend on the Covid-19 situation.

"If the situation can be totally controlled, the province will organise a full-scale festival. If not, the festival will be smaller, in proportion with the situation," he said.

The provincial culture office would invite representatives of all Chinese shrines to meet and discuss the size of the festival, he said.

Thanes Tantipiriyakit, chairman of the Phuket Tourism Council, said he wanted the vegetarian festival to go ahead, to give tourism a boost, but Covid-19 was still of grave concern.

"If the situation continues as it is now, the provincial authority must think hard over it. I want to see the revival of the economy, but at the same time do not want to see Phuket become infectious," Mr Thanes said.

Before the coronavirus outbreak the annual Phuket vegetarian festival was a major tourist attraction, drawing large crowds each year.

The festival celebrates the Chinese community's belief that by abstaining from eating meat and stimulants they will attain good health and peace of mind.