Enjoy Vegan Food During Thailand’s Nine Emperor Gods Festival
You’re in luck if you’ll be in Thailand during the Nine Emperor Gods Festival, a nearly 200-year-old vegetarian festival! The Jay Festival or Vegetarian Festival, as it’s also known, takes place from October 2 to 12 this year. In order to maintain purity, observers of the festival abstain from eating meat and other animal-based foods.
Thailand becomes even more vegan-friendly during the nine-day festival, as supermarkets, restaurants, shopping centers, convenience stores, and fast-food chains offer even more vegan food than usual. Across the country, you’ll spot strings of yellow triangle-shaped flags, with “เจ” written in red, marking places where you can find food. Even chain stores like Dairy Queen, 7-Eleven, and Swensen’s sell many clearly marked vegan options during the festival. Some of these products are naturally vegan year-round, whereas others are modified specifically for this event.
Yaowarat, or Bangkok’s Chinatown, is the epicenter of the celebrations. The capital city is renowned for its vibrant events. Throughout the week, more than 100 stalls with various vegan cuisines line the streets. Phuket Town, where the festival likely originated, attracts countless visitors who come to see the unique rituals performed each year. There are vegan-friendly markets all over the island, with the largest food market lining Ranong Road. You’ll find a selection of local and international favorites.
Beyond the Festival
Since vegan food is considered pure in Thailand, it makes sense to serve it—and only it—year-round. Eating vegan food is humane, healthy, and environmentally friendly. Even after the festival ends, you can easily find vegan food in Thailand. By going vegan, you can spare , help curb climate change and world hunger, and become healthier!
