A black-and-white photo of a person mid-air in a Superman-style body suspension pose, supported by multiple hooks in their back and legs, smiling joyfully toward the camera. They are suspended horizontally in a large indoor space with high ceilings and visible rigging. A group of onlookers—some seated, some standing—watch with expressions of admiration, amusement, and support. The atmosphere is lively and communal, capturing a moment of shared experience and transformation.

Phuket Vegetarian Festival Photos

IAM:arco had a chance to head up to Phuket Thailand last month for the vegetarian festival (which involves, among other things, devotees having extremely large temporary piercings done in their cheeks into which elements of their lives are inserted). He’s written a little more about it on his page, and there is a full and growing gallery on BME as well.

Here are an assortment of some of my favorite pictures from the ones he took:

Comments

16 responses to “Phuket Vegetarian Festival Photos”

  1. Shannon Larratt Avatar

    The following comments were imported from our old comment system:

    Posted on 11-08-2005 01:18:52 by m
    that last one is a real hum dinger

    Posted on 11-08-2005 02:19:25 by joshua
    omg.

    Posted on 11-08-2005 06:59:20 by jd
    tasty

    Posted on 11-08-2005 10:45:29 by Fuzz
    You know I thought I’ve seen it all, until I saw a machete through the guys mouth….wow.

    Posted on 11-08-2005 12:22:05 by melinda
    Wow. This is perhaps the first time ritual body mods have made me speechless.

    Posted on 11-08-2005 13:14:58 by Soralan
    thats just crazy. crazy in a good way.

    Posted on 11-08-2005 14:42:31 by sg
    And look they’re using gloves, who said this ritual is 100% primitave

    Posted on 11-09-2005 14:26:17 by Lauren
    Whoa… I didn’t expect that last one to be honest, and I’ve seen a lot of these..

    Posted on 11-09-2005 21:33:43 by paleblue
    I’ve seen these pictures before, and the only thing that really bothered me was that the guy who was creating the piercings appeared to be using a very very large solid needle, i.e. a taper with a sharp point, as opposed to a hollow bevelled needle. That made me squick a little. Does anyone know about how the piercings are created?

    Posted on 11-09-2005 21:34:25 by paleblue
    I’ve seen pictures from this festival before, and the only thing that really bothered me was that the guy who was creating the piercings in the pictures I saw appeared to be using a very very large solid needle, i.e. a taper with a sharp point, as opposed to a hollow bevelled needle. That made me squick a little. Does anyone know about how the piercings are created?

    Posted on 11-09-2005 21:35:13 by paleblue
    Argh, sorry for the double post. I needed to be more specific 🙂

    Posted on 11-10-2005 05:29:38 by Anon
    https://www.bme.com/news/images/200511072213-pix14.jpg

    The piercer here looks western in origin? At least from the facial hair and skintone.

    Posted on 11-10-2005 07:27:46 by Poppie
    Wow, these look amazing! Does anyone know if there are any complictions from having such a large hole made in your cheek? I remember reading on QOD that scalpeled cheek piercings weren’t an option because it would fuck up the muscle. Obviously these piercings are only temporary but couldn’t it still do some damage?

  2. Shannon Larratt Avatar

    The following comments were imported from our old comment system:

    Posted on 11-08-2005 01:18:52 by m
    that last one is a real hum dinger

    Posted on 11-08-2005 02:19:25 by joshua
    omg.

    Posted on 11-08-2005 06:59:20 by jd
    tasty

    Posted on 11-08-2005 10:45:29 by Fuzz
    You know I thought I’ve seen it all, until I saw a machete through the guys mouth….wow.

    Posted on 11-08-2005 12:22:05 by melinda
    Wow. This is perhaps the first time ritual body mods have made me speechless.

    Posted on 11-08-2005 13:14:58 by Soralan
    thats just crazy. crazy in a good way.

    Posted on 11-08-2005 14:42:31 by sg
    And look they’re using gloves, who said this ritual is 100% primitave

    Posted on 11-09-2005 14:26:17 by Lauren
    Whoa… I didn’t expect that last one to be honest, and I’ve seen a lot of these..

    Posted on 11-09-2005 21:33:43 by paleblue
    I’ve seen these pictures before, and the only thing that really bothered me was that the guy who was creating the piercings appeared to be using a very very large solid needle, i.e. a taper with a sharp point, as opposed to a hollow bevelled needle. That made me squick a little. Does anyone know about how the piercings are created?

    Posted on 11-09-2005 21:34:25 by paleblue
    I’ve seen pictures from this festival before, and the only thing that really bothered me was that the guy who was creating the piercings in the pictures I saw appeared to be using a very very large solid needle, i.e. a taper with a sharp point, as opposed to a hollow bevelled needle. That made me squick a little. Does anyone know about how the piercings are created?

    Posted on 11-09-2005 21:35:13 by paleblue
    Argh, sorry for the double post. I needed to be more specific 🙂

    Posted on 11-10-2005 05:29:38 by Anon
    https://www.bme.com/news/images/200511072213-pix14.jpg

    The piercer here looks western in origin? At least from the facial hair and skintone.

    Posted on 11-10-2005 07:27:46 by Poppie
    Wow, these look amazing! Does anyone know if there are any complictions from having such a large hole made in your cheek? I remember reading on QOD that scalpeled cheek piercings weren’t an option because it would fuck up the muscle. Obviously these piercings are only temporary but couldn’t it still do some damage?

  3. Shannon Larratt Avatar

    The following comments were imported from our old comment system:

    Posted on 11-08-2005 01:18:52 by m
    that last one is a real hum dinger

    Posted on 11-08-2005 02:19:25 by joshua
    omg.

    Posted on 11-08-2005 06:59:20 by jd
    tasty

    Posted on 11-08-2005 10:45:29 by Fuzz
    You know I thought I’ve seen it all, until I saw a machete through the guys mouth….wow.

    Posted on 11-08-2005 12:22:05 by melinda
    Wow. This is perhaps the first time ritual body mods have made me speechless.

    Posted on 11-08-2005 13:14:58 by Soralan
    thats just crazy. crazy in a good way.

    Posted on 11-08-2005 14:42:31 by sg
    And look they’re using gloves, who said this ritual is 100% primitave

    Posted on 11-09-2005 14:26:17 by Lauren
    Whoa… I didn’t expect that last one to be honest, and I’ve seen a lot of these..

    Posted on 11-09-2005 21:33:43 by paleblue
    I’ve seen these pictures before, and the only thing that really bothered me was that the guy who was creating the piercings appeared to be using a very very large solid needle, i.e. a taper with a sharp point, as opposed to a hollow bevelled needle. That made me squick a little. Does anyone know about how the piercings are created?

    Posted on 11-09-2005 21:34:25 by paleblue
    I’ve seen pictures from this festival before, and the only thing that really bothered me was that the guy who was creating the piercings in the pictures I saw appeared to be using a very very large solid needle, i.e. a taper with a sharp point, as opposed to a hollow bevelled needle. That made me squick a little. Does anyone know about how the piercings are created?

    Posted on 11-09-2005 21:35:13 by paleblue
    Argh, sorry for the double post. I needed to be more specific 🙂

    Posted on 11-10-2005 05:29:38 by Anon
    https://www.bme.com/news/images/200511072213-pix14.jpg

    The piercer here looks western in origin? At least from the facial hair and skintone.

    Posted on 11-10-2005 07:27:46 by Poppie
    Wow, these look amazing! Does anyone know if there are any complictions from having such a large hole made in your cheek? I remember reading on QOD that scalpeled cheek piercings weren’t an option because it would fuck up the muscle. Obviously these piercings are only temporary but couldn’t it still do some damage?

  4. Shannon Larratt Avatar

    The following comments were imported from our old comment system:

    Posted on 11-08-2005 01:18:52 by m
    that last one is a real hum dinger

    Posted on 11-08-2005 02:19:25 by joshua
    omg.

    Posted on 11-08-2005 06:59:20 by jd
    tasty

    Posted on 11-08-2005 10:45:29 by Fuzz
    You know I thought I’ve seen it all, until I saw a machete through the guys mouth….wow.

    Posted on 11-08-2005 12:22:05 by melinda
    Wow. This is perhaps the first time ritual body mods have made me speechless.

    Posted on 11-08-2005 13:14:58 by Soralan
    thats just crazy. crazy in a good way.

    Posted on 11-08-2005 14:42:31 by sg
    And look they’re using gloves, who said this ritual is 100% primitave

    Posted on 11-09-2005 14:26:17 by Lauren
    Whoa… I didn’t expect that last one to be honest, and I’ve seen a lot of these..

    Posted on 11-09-2005 21:33:43 by paleblue
    I’ve seen these pictures before, and the only thing that really bothered me was that the guy who was creating the piercings appeared to be using a very very large solid needle, i.e. a taper with a sharp point, as opposed to a hollow bevelled needle. That made me squick a little. Does anyone know about how the piercings are created?

    Posted on 11-09-2005 21:34:25 by paleblue
    I’ve seen pictures from this festival before, and the only thing that really bothered me was that the guy who was creating the piercings in the pictures I saw appeared to be using a very very large solid needle, i.e. a taper with a sharp point, as opposed to a hollow bevelled needle. That made me squick a little. Does anyone know about how the piercings are created?

    Posted on 11-09-2005 21:35:13 by paleblue
    Argh, sorry for the double post. I needed to be more specific 🙂

    Posted on 11-10-2005 05:29:38 by Anon
    https://www.bme.com/news/images/200511072213-pix14.jpg

    The piercer here looks western in origin? At least from the facial hair and skintone.

    Posted on 11-10-2005 07:27:46 by Poppie
    Wow, these look amazing! Does anyone know if there are any complictions from having such a large hole made in your cheek? I remember reading on QOD that scalpeled cheek piercings weren’t an option because it would fuck up the muscle. Obviously these piercings are only temporary but couldn’t it still do some damage?

  5. Jess Avatar
    Jess

    I am a vegetarian…and I have to say…I am now ashamed of being vegetarian after looking at those dickheads.

  6. Jess Avatar
    Jess

    I am a vegetarian…and I have to say…I am now ashamed of being vegetarian after looking at those dickheads.

  7. Jess Avatar
    Jess

    I am a vegetarian…and I have to say…I am now ashamed of being vegetarian after looking at those dickheads.

  8. Jess Avatar
    Jess

    I am a vegetarian…and I have to say…I am now ashamed of being vegetarian after looking at those dickheads.

  9. Bond Avatar
    Bond

    Man, these people are seriously disturbed! I feel sorry for these people because they think they are doing something very selfless, when, in fact, they are doing something very selfish and destructive to their bodies.

  10. Bond Avatar
    Bond

    Man, these people are seriously disturbed! I feel sorry for these people because they think they are doing something very selfless, when, in fact, they are doing something very selfish and destructive to their bodies.

  11. Bond Avatar
    Bond

    Man, these people are seriously disturbed! I feel sorry for these people because they think they are doing something very selfless, when, in fact, they are doing something very selfish and destructive to their bodies.

  12. Bond Avatar
    Bond

    Man, these people are seriously disturbed! I feel sorry for these people because they think they are doing something very selfless, when, in fact, they are doing something very selfish and destructive to their bodies.

  13. Lisa Avatar
    Lisa

    What I don’t understand is how you can call someone selfish for what they are doing to THEIR OWN BODIES.

  14. Lisa Avatar
    Lisa

    What I don’t understand is how you can call someone selfish for what they are doing to THEIR OWN BODIES.

  15. Lisa Avatar
    Lisa

    What I don’t understand is how you can call someone selfish for what they are doing to THEIR OWN BODIES.

  16. Lisa Avatar
    Lisa

    What I don’t understand is how you can call someone selfish for what they are doing to THEIR OWN BODIES.

Latest Tattoo, Piercing, and Body Modification News

  • Held by Hooks, and Each Other
    Facilitators and practitioners — the very people who bring so many suspensions to life — often pour their energy into others, quietly setting aside their own opportunities. Brenton and Brittany are one such example. Traveling all the way from Houston, TX, they came to the… Read more: Held by Hooks, and Each Other
  • When Tongue Piercings Meet Medicine
    In 2010, a German study was published involving subjects with tongue piercings. The tongue piercing was used as part of a device designed to relieve obstructive sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea is a disorder affecting many individuals. Severely affected individuals may suffer from various long-term… Read more: When Tongue Piercings Meet Medicine
  • Suspended, Not Silenced
    There’s something undeniably powerful about watching someone working through the stages of suspension. We all build up ideas about ourselves—what we’re allowed to feel, how much we’re allowed to express, when it’s okay to break. For some, suspension is not about pushing physical limits its… Read more: Suspended, Not Silenced
  • A Nightbird’s Passage
    Some stories take their time, unfolding over decades, through life’s long detours and diversions. But dreams never rest until they’re fully realized. Even after 15 years, Robb knew there was still a suspension experience waiting for him. Something left unfinished, something essential. At the Ontario… Read more: A Nightbird’s Passage
  • What Lifts the Body, Shifts the Soul
    First suspensions are rarely just about the body—they’re a meeting point between the physical and the deeply personal. Stepping into this experience isn’t simply about trying something new, but about stepping outside yourself to a version you had always sensed was waiting. I’ve had a… Read more: What Lifts the Body, Shifts the Soul
  • Skin and Strings: The Art of Human Puppetry
    One of the most powerful things about being at a convention like OSC is the sheer concentration of experience, creativity, and capability in one place. When you’re surrounded by people who not only understand the technical complexities of suspension but are excited by the challenge… Read more: Skin and Strings: The Art of Human Puppetry