Over recent weeks you may have noticed the giant yellow signs across the main roads, advertising ‘The Pattaya Vegetarian Festival’. Well, not even the downpour of rain could stop the Gin Jai festivities getting underway on the afternoon of Monday, 28th September until Thursday, 8th October 2019 with the official opening of the 10 day event at their annual venue in the Sawang Boriboon Foundation in Naklua.
On arrival it was soon apparent how big this occasion is, going through the entrance, the long Chinese Gods adorned thoroughfare was completely lined with yellow stalls selling all manner of appetising vegetarian food. For anyone that is a permanent vegetarian this festival is ‘a must’ as ideas for meat substitution were in abundance. However, this annual festival is in essence about the cleansing and purification of the body, by not eating meat during the 10 day period, and is traditionally linked to the Chinese-Thai communities not only in Pattaya but around the whole country at this time of year.
Everyone attending the festival had been requested to wear white to signify their intention of self purification.