The final two days of an intense and unforgettable nine day street photography journey. So let us not waste any time and get straight into it.

A Shrine Off the Grid

We started shooting very early that morning, around 5:30 a.m. Multiple events were happening at the same time, and instead of going to the obvious locations, we decided to visit a shrine slightly off the grid. That turned out to be a very good decision.

By the looks of it, some people had stayed overnight at the shrine. Apart from us, there were no other photographers and no tourists. The atmosphere felt incredibly intimate and special. The people welcomed us warmly, offered us food, and made us feel like we belonged there from the very beginning.

1. Ricoh GRIV - 0.3 sec - f/8.0 - ISO800

Kids were practicing their drumming while more and more people slowly arrived. If you have seen the earlier parts of this series, you already know what happens next. The Masongs began entering trance.

But this shrine was different.

What we witnessed there was hands down my favorite experience of the entire festival. The energy, the closeness, the authenticity. It was unbelievable.

When the parade started, it felt completely different from what we had seen before. Because of the remote location, everything felt more rural and grounded. Calm, respectful, and deeply personal.

A Rural Parade

Later that afternoon, we drove for about an hour to reach a completely different location. A small village in the middle of nowhere. It was a risk because we had no idea what to expect. There could have been nothing at all.

But once again, we got lucky.

A Village That Time Forgot

While it was raining back in Phuket Old Town, this village stayed completely dry. The location was beautiful, and the locals told us that only one photographer had ever been there before. That was hard to believe.

Just like in the morning, the people were incredibly kind and welcoming. Even in this small community, there were many Masongs. Much more than I expected.

Photographing the Masongs getting pierced was easy because there was no crowd and no chaos. The piercings were not as extreme as what we had seen elsewhere.

Female Masongs were sitting together, waiting for the parade to begin. One of the women, wearing a blue dress, must have been in her nineties. You could really feel how close knit this community was. Everyone knew each other.

Every Street and Every Alley

When the parade began, we walked through every street and every small alleyway in the village. At times it got a bit wild, as expected, but overall it was calm and deeply respectful.

It felt like the entire village was involved. People either walked along with the parade or stood in front of their homes to welcome the Masongs.

I truly feel blessed to have been part of this experience. Later, I shared a selection of my photos with the locals, which felt like the right thing to do.

At this point, all my Ricoh batteries were dead, so I switched to the Leica Q3.

The parade lasted well over an hour. By the time we returned to the shrine, the sun was already setting.

We thought it was over, but the locals were not done yet. They all jumped onto pickup trucks and headed to a nearby beach. For us, it was time to find a ride and return to Phuket Old Town.

I am not sure if the pictures fully capture it, but that day was something truly special. I would love to return next year.

The Final Night Begins

The last day of the festival arrived, and things escalated quickly.

There was an event in the morning, but because of the rain, I skipped it and saved my energy for the night. The final night of the festival starts around 9 p.m. and it is absolute madness.

There are no piercings and no blood, but fireworks are going off everywhere for hours.

Because we had done our research, we knew we had to be prepared. Earplugs, goggles, head cover, face cover. All of it is basically mandatory.

After dinner, we suited up. I was more than ready.

Pure Chaos

Once everything kicked off, everyone was on their own. It was impossible to stay together in the chaos.

The sidewalks were packed with people throwing firecrackers. As soon as the first group of men carrying the palanquins arrived, they were completely bombarded and suddenly all hell broke loose.

I chose to shoot with the Leica Q3 instead of the Ricoh because of the dust and the expected rain.

Photographing in those conditions was extremely difficult. Firecrackers were exploding everywhere, visibility was terrible because of the smoke, and using flash was tricky since the smoke reflected the light. But when everything aligned, the results were incredible.

Despite the chaos and the insane noise levels, it was a lot of fun. Every one of us had a blast. Literally.

The Masongs do not wear any protection, not even shoes. They believe that their connection to the gods makes them invincible.

Sending Off the Gods

After walking for more than an hour, which felt much longer, I ended up at the seaside. And once again, I got lucky.

Just as I arrived, the Masongs carrying the main palanquin appeared and walked straight into the water to send off the gods for the year.

I was wearing shoes, but I followed them into the water to get the shots. Later that night, back in my room, I cleaned my shoes. Sand, shells, and an unbelievable smell came out of them. I had to put them in the washing machine the next day. It was bad. Really bad.

After some time, the Masongs returned, and that was officially the end of the festival.

Or so I thought.

72. Leica Q3 - 0.5 sec - f/8.0 - ISO1600

73. Leica Q3 - 0.5 sec - f/8.0 - ISO1600

The End of an Unforgettable Journey

While walking back to call it a night, locals were already cleaning the streets, but the fireworks were still going. From what I heard, they continued for hours, even after the rain started again.

Overall, this year’s Vegetarian Festival was unbelievable.

There were challenges due to heavy rain, and during the festival, the former Thai queen passed away. She was very popular, and her passing had a visible impact. The parades afterward were noticeably calmer.

But regardless of all that, this was one of the best shooting experiences I have ever had. On top of that, I met so many great photographers and had an amazing time connecting with them.

I cannot wait to return next year.

And if at this point you are thinking that you wish you knew how to use flash in street photography, I have you covered. I created a video course where I explain everything you need to know, from getting started with flash to taking your street photography to the next level.

Street Photography in Phuket Part Four The Final Days and a Night of Absolute Madness