Thai Vegetarian Festival
I’m a bonafide meat lover. But growing up Thai-Chinese meant that once a year, I’d go full-on vegan for a week and a half during the Thai Vegetarian Festival, sometimes spelled Jae or Jay Festival. Known in Thai as thetsakan kin jae (เทศกาลกินเจ), the festival means that plenty of Chinese restaurants will be serving vegetable alternatives that taste just as good, or sometimes even better, than their regular meat dishes.
But the Thai vegetarian festival is more than just about forgoing meat for 9 days. It is also about being a virtuous person. Many Thais will also follow additional rules like: not eating food with strong flavours (i.e. no garlic, chilli, etc.), abstaining from sex, drugs, and alcohol.
You’ll find most of the festivities in and around Chinese shrines countrywide. For 2023, the festival runs from 15-23 October, give or take a couple of days depending on where the celebrations are. But if you’re unsure of where you want to celebrate this delicious festival, here are some of the best spots in Thailand we picked out.
1. Yaowarat – see Chinatown transform into a vegetarian haven
Image credit: @montymoremoney via Instagram
If you’re in Bangkok, Yaowarat is where you want to be for the Jae Festival. Pretty much every single one of its myriad of Chinese street food stalls and restaurants has a special menu just for the occasion. Some of their regular menu is still available too if you’re afraid of missing out on some of the area’s most famous dishes.
We recommend visiting in the early evenings to really see the streets come to life.
2. Phuket – 200-year-old tradition kept alive by local Peranakans
Image credit: @phwnghsrii via Instagram
If you ask Thais what place in Thailand comes to mind when it comes to the Jae Festival, most will say Phuket. The Phuket Jae Festival is one of the biggest in Thailand. It even has its own name in Thai – เจี๊ยะฉ่าย (pronounced jie cai, 食菜).
They’ve also kept their traditional practices alive for nearly 200 years, partly due to the large Peranakan population. Some of these practices, which are unique to the area, include self-mutilation and mediums for the gods called Masong (ม้าทรง).
We recommend stopping by Jui Tui Shrine (ศาลเจ้าจุ้ยตุ่ย). It’s a Chinese temple that’s been around for over a hundred years.
3. Phang-Nga – Another Southern Thai Spot Famed For Tradition
Image credit: @i_am_jianping via Instagram
Much like its neighbouring province Phuket, Phang-Nga is home to unique traditions done during the Jae Festival. One that stands out is their walking-on-crushed-glass where the Masong mediums will demonstrate their ability to not feel pain when walking through crushed glass and ceramics.
Try stopping by Ma Zho Po Shrine (ศาลเจ้าแม่ม่าจ้อโป๋), a Chinese temple in Phang-Nga that is home to some beautiful, old Chinese murals and one Alex Face mural.
4. Siam Square-Samyan – enjoy vegetarian food with youthful vibes
Image credit: @lookchaimongkol via Instagram
For city-dwellers who want a relatively peaceful festival, the Siam Square-Samyan area will have their own festival as well. The festival will take place in the Chulalongkorn University Centenary Park, nearby Chinese shrine Chao Mae Thapthim Shrine (ศาลเจ้าแม่ทับทิม), and Chula Soi 5.
You can expect tons of food and a very youthful atmosphere near the university.
5. Cinta Trang Market (ตลาดชินตา) in Trang – experience the Trang-style vegetarian festival
Image credit: @jeab_jrr via Instagram
The Jae Festival plus a night market equals tons of great food for amazing prices. Cinta Trang Market in southern Thai province Trang is collaborating with local Chinese temples to host a huge celebration.
Swing by to see Masong mediums walking through fire!
6. Na Jasa Tai Chue Shrine (ศาลเจ้าหน่าจาซาไท้จื้อ) in Chonburi – see the beautiful Chinese temple while enjoying their vegetarian food
Image credit: @saharatically via Instagram
Na Jasa Tai Chue Shrine is a huge Chinese temple around an hour’s drive away from Pattaya. It’s worth visiting for the temple’s many sculptures and murals alone. You’ll get an extra reason this weekend with their Jae Festival celebrations.
So come here if you want a meritorious break from Pattaya’s beaches.
Enjoy vegetarian food and good karma during the Thai Vegetarian Festival
For Thais, the Jae Festival is a time to be virtuous. Not only do we refrain from eating meat, we also abstain from alcohol and sex. Or at least we try to.
So if you’re looking for a spiritual break, remember to wear white and go to any of these spots to experience a uniquely Thai vegetarian festival.
For more adventures in southern Thailand, check out our guide to Narathiwat – Thailand’s southern-most province or our guide to Koh Tao.
Cover image adapted from: @montymoremoney via Instagram, @saharatically via Instagram, @i_am_jianping via Instagram, @phwnghsrii via Instagram
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