Thai foreign minister Kasit Piromya told journalists today that the upcoming 15th ASEAN meeting will be held in Cha Am/Hua Hin i October and not in Phuket.
- After consulting with security agencies and ASEAN members we decided to choose Cha Am / Hua Hin for the meeting, he said.
The governor of Phuket said earlier this week that he was “70% certain” the meeting would take place in Phuket.
The 15th ASEAN Summit and related Summits with dialogue partners was previously scheduled to be held in Phuket. The summit will take place October 23-25 as was originally planned.
The Thai foreign ministry decided to change the venue of the 15th ASEAN summit to the resort town of Cha-am in Phetchaburi and Hua Hin in Prachuap Khiri Khan after several talks with security agencies on the issue.
Thailand’s security agencies assessed the meeting venue based on security considerations.
The new venue is considered appropriate in terms of both accommodations and transportation, Mr Kasit said.
- It doesn’t mean that it is unsafe to hold the meeting in Phuket as originally planned, but the Phuket Vegetarian Festival will run concurrently with the ASEAN meeting, according to the Thai foreign minister.
About the Phuket Vegetarian Festival
It is an annual event held during the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar. It is believed that the vegetarian festival and its accompanying sacred rituals bestow good fortune upon those who religiously observe this rite.
During this time, local residents of Chinese ancestry strictly observe a 10-day vegetarian or vegan diet for the purposes of spiritual cleansing and merit-making.
Sacred rituals are performed at various Chinese shrines and temples and aesthetic displays such as walking barefooted over hot coals and ascending ladders with bladed rungs are performed by entranced devotees.
The annual Phuket Vegetarian Festival is scheduled from October 18-26.
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