WTF?

The Vegetarian Festival in Phuket, Thailand is a sight to behold! Ritual vegetarianism here traces its roots back to the early 1800s, and the festival begins on the first evening of the ninth lunar month and lasts for nine days. Participants in the festival perform acts of body piercing - on their face, arms and other area - as a means of shifting evil spirits from individuals onto themselves.
Ouch! Looks like they shift the pain onto themselves too. A devotee of the Chinese shrine of Samkong pierces his cheeks with wrenches during a procession of the festival.