Thai vegetarian festival returns after Covid-19 hiatus

Hundreds of devotees flocked to temples and staged processions to celebrate the annual vegetarian festival this week on the island of Phuket in southern Thailand, being held for the first time after the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic eased.Participants, mainly from the local Chinese community, in the festival abstain from meat and drink in the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar to achieve good health and peace of mind, in a tradition that goes back 150 years.One devotee, who gave only her nickname Pop, said: “It’s part of a merit-making ritual and in return, I feel that my life has gotten better.”