Devotees ram spikes through their faces and cut tongues with axes to appease the gods at Phuket Vegetarian Festival

DEVOTEES parade through the streets with metal spikes piercing their faces for a gruesome ritual in Thailand.

Others slice their tongues open with axes in a test of endurance at Phuket's annual Vegetarian Festival.

The holiday island's nine-day festival honours the Nine Emperor Gods of Taoist beliefs.

Through the festivities, followers abstain from eating meat and having sex in an effort to cleanse their souls.

Some also prove their devotion by taking part in ritualistic self-mutilation and pain trials.

As well as piercing and cutting their faces, participants will run over coals and climb ladders with razors on the steps.

The beating of drums helps them enter a trance like state in which they say they are possessed by gods and feel no pain.

In previous years devotees have also pierced their cheeks with bizarre objects such as bicycles, guns and badminton rackets.

Many believe that the pain from the piercings is a way to absorb the ills of their community and bring good luck.

Phuket's gruesome tradition emerged in the 19th century when a group of Chinese singers were struck down with malaria while visiting.

The musicians were healed when they began worshipping the Nine Emperor Gods and cleansed their bodies by avoiding meat and practising self-flagellation.

This year's event has taken on extra significance because it the first festival allowed in Thailand since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Phuket airport is expected to receive nearly 15,000 domestic travellers on each of the nine days.

Authorities wanted it to go ahead to boost the hard-hit economy on the island, which is heavily reliant on tourism.

Tens of thousands of people there are unemployed after the virus forced visitors to stay away.