Phuket Thailand Culture

Monks are the most important people in Thai society and must be treated with respect at all times. A monk’s vow of chastity prohibits him from touching or being touched by a woman. Women are usually advised to smile and slightly bow when encountering a monk and maintain enough distance to prevent any contact with the monk or his robes.

Temple fairs are held during the cool season (November through early March) to raise money for temple maintenance. They are great fun. There is a carnival atmosphere lots of good food and a chance to see normal Thai people enjoying themselves.

If you get up early (sunrise) for a walk, you are likely to encounter monks making their rounds for offering of food. Monks carrying a bowl will be approached by Thais (usually women) who will offer food to the monks (merit making). Thailand is a Buddhist country and this ritual can be seen every day all over the country.

One of the most interesting groups of people who have lived on Phuket are the Sea Gypsies, traditionally a nomadic peoples who traveled from cove to cove, staying until the fish and other resources were depleted. They then moved on, allowing the cove to re-establish its former ecological balance before returning to repeat the cycle. Their history and cultural lifestyles are hard to trace as they do not have a written language. Sea gypsies are said to have originated in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands between India and Burma. They are generally darker skinned and heavier with curly black hair. They speak their own language and follow their own animistic religion.

Sea Gypsies consist of three groups. The Mokens still prefer their ancestral sea nomad-style of living and are commonly found occupying the islands north of Phuket. The Orung Laut and the Moklens have settled on coastal areas. There are three Sea Gypsy villages in Phuket. The one located at Rawai is thought to be the oldest and is visited by busloads of tourists everyday. Another village is located 8km north of Phuket Town at Sapam Coast, and a third village is located on Siray Island which is accessible by bridge from Phuket Town.

The Phuket Vegetarian Festival

The Chinese believe that great merit is acquired by inviting the nine gods of the Vegetarian Festival to earth paying homage to them and in return receiving their blessings and cures and then sending them back home with a dazzling ceremony.

The object is to purify the mind and body and demonstrate the strength of their faith. During this period, devout Chinese Buddhists dress in white attire, and eat no meat, eggs, milk, fish, garlic, or spices. They avoid sex, gambling, swearing, killing animals, drinking alcohol, smoking, and wearing jewelry. Amazing feats are performed by participants who are possessed by spirits and or in a trance. They walk on burning coals, pierce tender parts of their bodies with sharp or thorny instruments, climb a ladder made of knives barefoot, and generally do such as might leave an ordinary person dead or in critical condition. All this is done without any apparent suffering, massive loss of blood, or other ill-effect. It is an astonishing spectacle, but not recommended for the faint hearted, performed not by actors but by the common citizenry. On the morning of the last day of the Vegetarian Festival elaborate dragon and lion dances are held, along with many mind-bending acts of self-mortification in front of the clock tower in the center of Phuket Town. This frantic ceremony lasts into the evening, as thousands of people clog the streets of Phuket setting off great strings of firecrackers to bid a last and very noisy farewell to the gods.

Songkran Festival

The traditional gentle sprinkling of water in temples and homes is still practiced; however, overzealous Thais and tourists alike have resorted to throwing water at any passersby that dare to venture out of their hotel. It is a splashy affair for all on that day, and generally a good way to beat the heat in what is normally the hottest month of the year in Thailand. Lately many revelers have taken to adding talcum powder or flour to the water. The victims of this high spirited affair get a real whitewash. Remember this date when you are in Phuket. Leave your cameras and anything likely to suffer water damage behind in your hotel room, because you will get wet.

Turtle Releasing Festival

Customary Setting Adrift of the Chao Nam Boats Ceremonies

These are held twice annually, once before the monsoon and once after it. They usually occur in the middle of the 6th and 11th month of each year. During the 3-day event, sea gypsies are grounded from working. Merry-making on liquor,singing, chanting and participating in the famous ‘Rahm Rong Ngeng’ dance are all part of this auspicious celebration. It is an exorcism of sort. An elaborate boat called a "prahu" is built of wood. Each sea gypsy puts in personal items like fingernails and clippings of hair, while little doll effigies of sailors holding swords, spears, and guns man the deck. The whole boat is then ceremonially set adrift, the purpose being to drive sorrow and suffering from the gypsies' midst.

The Chao Nam or Sea Gypsies, at Rawai and Sapam set their boats adrift on the evening of the 13th; those at Koh Sirey on the 14th; and those at Lam Lah (at the north end of Phuket) celebrate on the 15th.

Loy Kratong Festival or Full Moon Day

The origins of this of this charming evening are not clear but it is the most beautiful of Thai celebrations. One legend has the festival beginning in the 13th century Sukhothai period when a young princess floated a small boat laden with candle and incense downstream past a pavilion where her husband was entertaining friends. It has grown to be one of the country’s most enchanting festivals. As the full moon rises, Thais fill tiny floral boats with candles and incense and launch them into the rivers, canals, ponds, and the sea to wash away sins and to bless love affairs.

Join in the fun: buy a kratong from a vender, light the taper and incense, place a small coin and a few hairs plucked from the head, say a prayer and send it on its way on a pond or waterway. The celebration begins about 7.30 pm. Thai women dress in beautiful traditional Thai dresses.

Ideally, eating Thai food is a communal affair involving two or more people, principally because the greater the number of diners the greater the number of dishes ordered. Generally speaking, two diners order three dishes in addition to their own individual plates of steamed rice, three diners four dishes, and so on. Diners choose whatever they require from shared dishes and generally add it to their own rice. Soups are enjoyed concurrently with rice. Soups are enjoyed concurrently with other dishes, not independently. Spicy dishes, not independently. Spicy dishes are "balanced" by bland dishes to avoid discomfort. Thai food includes:

Titbits e.g. Thai Spring Rolls
These can be hors d'oeuvres, accompaniments, side dishes, and/or snacks. They include spring rolls, satay, puffed rice cakes with herbed topping. They represent the playful and creative nature of the Thais

Salads e.g. Papaya Pok Pok
A harmony of tastes and herbal flavours are essential. Major tastes are sour, sweet and salty. Spiciness comes in different degrees according to meat textures and occasions.

Soups e.g. Tom Yam Khung
A good meal for an average person may consist simply of a soup and rice. Traditional Thai soups are unique because they embody more flavours and textures than can be found in other types of food

Dips
Dips entail some complexity. They can be the major dish of a meal with accompaniments of vegetables and some meats. When dips are made thinly, they can be used as salad designs. A particular and simple dip is made from chillies, garlic, dried shrimps, lime juice, fish sauce, sugar and shrimp paste.

Curries
Most non-Thai curries consist of powdered or ground dried spices, whereas the major ingredients of Thai curry are fresh herbs. A simple Thai curry paste consists of dried chillies, shallots and shrimp paste. More complex curries include garlic, galanga, coriander roots, lemon grass, kaffir lime peel and peppercorns.

General Fare
A sweet and sour dish, a fluffy omelette, and a stir-fried dish help make a meal more complete.

Single Dishes e.g. Phat Thai
Complete meals in themselves , they include rice and noodle dishes such as Khao Phat and Phat Thai.

Desserts
No good meal is complete without a Thai dessert. Uniformly sweet, they are particularly welcome after a strongly spiced and herbed meal.