subject: Thai Culture: Bizarre Phuket Customs... [print this page] You could be forgiven for thinking some of the culture and customs here in Phuket, Thailand are a bit bizarre.
Last week kicked off with a bang (well, a lot of bangs actually) as the Phuket Vegetarian Festival got underway.
Ten days of merriment follow.
Thats the customary lighting of fire-crackers at every opportunity. The beating of drums as loudly as possible. And everybody dressed entirely in white clothing.
Unsurprisingly, people also stop eating meat.
Its true that the festival can be pretty noisy.
But the noise is nothing compared to the gruesome antics of the Ma-Song (entranced horses - well they are called horses but theyre actually people)...
The Ma-Song claim that during the days of the festival they are possessed by The Gods.
The Gods apparently give them supernatural powers and force the Ma-Song to perform acts of self-torture.
This is supposed to move evil spirits from the Ma-Song to the Gods.
Ive seen Ma-Song with all sorts of strange items piercing their bodies...
From a canoe paddle to a garden spade.
And on a smaller scale - a pineapple stalk still attached to the pineapple seems to be a popular choice.
