Governor Nisit Jansomwong chaired the opening ceremony, held every year at the Kusoldharm Foundation headquarters in Phuket Town to honour the Chinese god, Poy Jun Sia Hook.
Renowned for his compassion benevolence, Poy Jun Sia Hook is the patron god of the Kusoldharm Foundation, which provides rescue and emergency medical services across the island.
Joining Governor Nisit was Kusoldharm Foundation chairperson Benjawan Tampanuwat, Phuket City Police superintendent Col Dr Kraitong Jantongbai and Patong Hospital Director Dr Sirichai Silapa-archa, among many others who turned up to hand out donations of dried foods and rice to the poor.
As part of the merit-making, 34 schools each received 250kg of rice per school to use in serving school lunches.
A ceremony was also held for worshippers to pay their respects to their ancestors and give offerings of food to the spirits.