Thai Vegetarian Festival, Thailand

Bangkok / Krabi, Thailand
September 26-October 3, 2008

WARNING - Parental Guidance Required. This blog is not for the faint-hearted... most of the photographs below are rather disturbing, so please be forewarned should you be curious enough to sneak a peek. Just remember, I bloody well warned ya!

In Thailand I met up with Greg, a buddy from university, and we hit the infamous bohemian backpacker district of Khaosan Road. Things have changed since I was in Bangkok four years ago. This area is now a bit more polished, a bit more commercialized, and quality is the only thing that is cheaper. There were noticeably more Thai people out at the bars and clubs, and they were spending money at the same rate as the Westerners do. Bangkok used to have a characteristic smell somewhere between wet rotting garbage and sewers, but now, the place smells a lot more like money.

To escape the madness of the Bangkok, I aimed myself towards the beaches further down south, stopping by the coastal town of Krabi. I was surprised by the Vegetarian Festival, where followers of Chinese Taoist religion entered into a short period of alcohol-free celibacy and vegetarianism, and dropped trance-like states to literally hammer out their sins... Axes were hammered into chests and foreheads, cheeks were pierced with various objects, tongues were slashed with blades, and revelers danced in the smoky midst of ear-shattering firecrackers. Unfortunately, when my backpack got stuck on a barbed wire fence, I was unable to retreat to safe location and also had to endure a close-fire round of painful explosions bursting withing a few feet of me. I had no other recourse than to keep the protective camera in front of my face and continue shooting. In a bizarre finale, the bloody participants were brought out of their trances in a ceremonious freaky-Baptist-sort-of-manner, cleansed of their sins. In a very scary way, this whole affair is somewhat reminiscent of the horrors I felt while watching the children in the movie "Jesus Camp". After witnessing such a bizarre vegetarian affair, we withdrew to the night market food stalls for a distinctly non-vegetarian meal.


Khaosan Road, Bangkok, Thailand. This bar was full of Thai university student causing all sorts of mayhem after two of the lady boys threw each other in the pool while partying. Fortunately, nobody thought it would be fun to throw the white guy into the pool...


Krabi Vegetarian Festival, Thailand. Overlooking the scenic karst limestone hills, the Vegetarian Festival walked through the streets of Krabi. This guy has umbrellas pierced right through his cheeks.


Krabi Vegetarian Festival, Thailand. After parading through the streets, this group seemed to be posing for a photo while self-mutilating themselves.


Krabi Vegetarian Festival, Thailand. Yup, that's actually a fire extinguisher. I wonder if he found the Thai food too spicy!


Krabi Vegetarian Festival, Thailand. Tongue cutting with an axe.


Krabi Vegetarian Festival, Thailand. This looks a little more painful than a nipple piercing.


Krabi Vegetarian Festival, Thailand. Tongue slicing...


Krabi Vegetarian Festival, Thailand. This guy enjoys candle light dinners, long walks on beach, and pounding axes into his forehead and chest.


Krabi Vegetarian Festival, Thailand. Such a cheeky fellow.


Krabi Vegetarian Festival, Thailand. Shish-kaThai.


Krabi Vegetarian Festival, Thailand. This is not the flower boy that I envision at my wedding...


Krabi Vegetarian Festival, Thailand. The night market food stalls at sunset... no vegetarian meals for me!