Chiang Mai residents turned up at Pung Tao Gong Shrine in Mueang district on the first day of the 2026 vegetarian festival carrying tiffin carriers and food boxes, lining up for free vegetarian meals handed out by the shrine and a group of donors.
One woman said she had brought four tiffin tiers, enough to feed the whole household. The free food saves her several meals’ worth of money, she said, which counts for something when the economy is bad and everything costs more. Many in the queue said they plan to come back every day until the festival ends.
Montri Phromwanit, a committee member organising the festival at the shrine, said the shrine, together with restaurants and other donors, is serving two meals a day. Lunch is four or five cooked vegetarian dishes, and people can bring their own containers and take as much as they need, since many are carrying it home to relatives. The shrine isn’t giving out plastic bags this year, to cut down on rubbish. Dinner is 250 boxed meals a day.
The queue is longer than last year’s. Montri said that reflects the state of the economy, with people tightening their belts and looking for ways to spend less. The shrine has responded by cooking more, so there’s enough for everyone who turns up through the festival.
