Vegetarian Festival Kicks off in Thailand amid Rising Veggie Prices
BANGKOK, Oct 20 (TNA) - Thailand's annual Vegetarian Festival began its preliminary phase on Monday, with large crowds in key areas like Yaowarat and Phuket despite a sharp increase in vegetable prices caused by recent floods.
The nine-day festival officially starts on Tuesday (Oct. 21-29), but many started a day early for the traditional "stomach cleansing" ritual, abstaining from meat for merit and preparation.
In Bangkok’s Yaowarat, Chinatown, streets were busy with shoppers buying vegetarian food from vendors displaying the customary yellow flags.
In Phuket, the ceremonial heart of the event, devotees gathered at shrines like Jui Tui Tao Bo Keng. The raising of the sacred Go Teng pole on Monday evening formally signalled the beginning of the eating vegetables traditions.
The start of the festival was marked by a spike in food costs. Flooding in provinces like Phang Nga pushed vegetable prices up by 10-20 baht per kilogram.
Despite the price hikes and overall economic caution, the festival is projected to generate 45.903 billion baht in spending.
This 2% increase over last year makes it the highest spending forecast in five years, according to the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC).
