The Por Tor Festival

There are a plethora of websites (a. b. c. d.) which can tell you about this festival and they all tell a slightly different story.

I think that the essence of the reason for the festival was told to me by one of our staff at work - he was unable to come to the English class because he was going to his home to 'honour the dead spirits of his family'.

Whatever the reason; Phuket Town was amass of stalls, cooking smells, colourful ribbons and RED TURTLES with offerings!!!

There was a beautiful atmosphere in Phuket Town late at night - it was a carnival. 

I visited again on the next day - the market road - Ranong Road was closed to all traffic - well some traffic - and stalls were scattered along both sides and the middle.  We bought candyfloss, toys, fruit drinks, ice cream and more.

My question which I posed last year - Can you eat the turtles? - was answered - YES!

I went to visit the celebration a little more closely with my daughter who could not be happier - after 5 hours of walking through Phuket Town she conceded that it was time to go home in a Tuk Tuk.


There was inherent beauty in the celebration but what struck me most was the way that all the Thai people welcomed a farang - with a pushchair holding hands with a little girl eating candy floss, holding a floating balloon - this was enough to remind me how lovely the Thai people are and how lucky I am to live here.

Thank you.