People are invited to visit Yaowarat, Bangkok’s Chinatown, for the annual Vegetarian Festival from 2 to 11 October 2024, when many people do not take meat in their meals, and mainly vegetables are used in food preparation. 

The festival this year is special, as it is also meant to honor His Majesty the King on the auspicious occasion of His Majesty’ s sixth-cycle, or 72nd, birthday anniversary.

Major activities as part of the festival will take place at the Royal Jubilee Gate along Yaowarat Road. During the opening ceremony on Thursday, 3 October, a candle-lit event will take place to pay tribute to His Majesty the King, together with a float parade of the goddess of mercy Guanyin, lion and dragon dances, and other shows.

The symbol for the Vegetarian Festival is a small yellow flag placed at vegetarian food stalls. Yellow represents Buddhism and good moral conduct. This festival encourages people to be aware of compassion for other lives. It also gives the people an opportunity to discipline themselves, so that they can clean their minds and practice acts of virtue.

Originally, the festival was observed in Chinese communities or among ethnic Chinese, or Thais of Chinese origin. Today, a large number of people, regardless of their origin and beliefs, join the festival. Some people participate because vegetarian food is good for health. They believe that by consuming only meat-free meals for the period, they will cleanse their bodies and minds. 

Bangkok’s Chinatown, where the festival is celebrated on a wide scale each year, is an old business center, covering a large area around Yaowarat and Charoen Krung roads. In this area, there are many small streets and alleys full of shops and wholesale and retail outlets selling all kinds of goods.