DEVOTEES have pierced their faces with swords, skewers and even bicycles in a shocking ritual during Thailand’s famous Vegetarian Festival.
In Phuket’s Old Town, hundreds of followers marched through the streets with blades jammed through their cheeks and blood dripping from their mouths.
Others slice their tongues open with axes in stomach-churning displays of devotion.
The gruesome rituals mark the start of the island’s annual nine-day Vegetarian Festival – celebrating its 200th anniversary this year.
The event honours the Nine Emperor Gods of Taoist belief and is one of Thailand’s most dramatic religious spectacles.
During the festival, followers shun meat, alcohol and even sex to cleanse their souls.
But many take things to the extreme – impaling themselves with long metal rods, knives, and other bizarre objects.
Some believe the pain helps absorb the sins of their community and brings them good luck for the year ahead.
As drums thunder and incense fills the air, participants claim to enter trances where they are “possessed by gods” and feel no pain.
One devotee was seen with two swords thrust clean through both cheeks.
Another paraded through clouds of smoke with a blade jammed through his mouth as crowds cheered.
A few even pushed strange items through their faces – including bicycles, musical instruments, and model boats.
Followers dressed in flowing white robes – the colour of purity – marched through Phuket’s streets, carrying flags and lanterns in the blistering heat.
But when the time came to remove the impaled objects, it left behind deep cuts, blood, and lasting scars.
The ceremony dates back to the 19th century, when a troupe of Chinese opera singers fell gravely ill with malaria while performing on the island.
According to legend, they were cured after giving up meat and worshipping the Nine Emperor Gods.
Locals believed their miraculous recovery was thanks to the gods’ power – and began holding a festival in their honour.
Since then, it has grown into one of Thailand’s biggest religious events, attracting thousands of tourists and devotees every year.
This year’s celebrations – known locally as Thetsakan Kin Che – run from October 21 to October 29.
Mediums such as Sirinnicha Thampradit, 29, are believed to act as spiritual bridges between humans and divine beings during the rituals.
They claim to channel the power of the gods as they lead processions through the island’s shrines.
Participants also run barefoot over hot coals and climb ladders with razor-sharp steps to prove their faith.
The constant beating of drums and ringing of gongs is said to help them enter their trance-like state.
Many believe that by suffering physically, they are purifying themselves spiritually.
Phuket’s Chinese-Thai community, descended from migrants from southeast China’s Hokkien region, continues to keep the tradition alive.
Locals say the festival is a reminder of faith, strength and endurance -though not for the faint-hearted.
“It’s going to slow down business, but it’s nature,” said one onlooker, as the streets filled with the sound of drums and cries. “We can’t fight against nature, right?”
For nine days, the island transforms into a surreal and spiritual spectacle – part prayer, part performance, and part test of the human body.
And as the final procession reaches the sea at Saphan Hin Shrine, Phuket’s devotees believe their sacrifices have cleansed not only themselves, but the soul of their island.
