More than 500 mediums join Bang Neow Shrine’s Phuket Town procession
At 6:00 a.m. on 15 October, Bang Neow Shrine sent one of the Vegetarian Festival’s signature processions through Phuket Town, with more than 500 spirit mediums taking part and thousands of residents and visitors lining the route.
The city woke up early
The procession left Bang Neow Tao Bo Keng Shrine, paused at Saphan Hin for a ritual involving incense smoke and sacred candle essence, then returned to the shrine. The walk took more than three hours.
Flags, banners, and ornate palanquins led the way, followed by the ma song mediums who take part in the festival’s body-piercing rites as part of the traditional ceremony.
What people saw on the streets
At Chartered Bank Intersection, firecrackers cracked overhead while residents and shop owners placed altars outside homes and businesses to welcome the deities. For Phuket Town, this is not a staged show but a live street ritual that reshapes the city centre for a few hours.
Useful for visitors
Bang Neow Shrine dates back to 1904 and is one of Phuket’s oldest shrines. The next major procession is set for 16 October, when Jui Tui Shrine is expected to depart at 7:00 a.m.
If you plan to watch from the centre, allow extra time: roads around the shrine area and key intersections move slower than usual on procession mornings.
