Pi Ta Khon (Thai Ghost Festival)

If you’ve ever wandered through Mezzanine’s jungle-framed corridors or lingered over a Thai curry as the Caribbean breeze rolls in, you’ve likely felt it—that unmistakable sense of elsewhere. A kind of quiet transport. Yes, you’re in Tulum. But you’re also in Thailand.

Nowhere is this more true than in July, when the echoes of Thailand’s vibrant Pi Ta Khon festival seem to stir the air. A celebration of spirits, folklore, and irreverent joy, Pi Ta Khon isn’t just a festival—it’s a window into the soul of Thai culture. And while you won’t find the masked parades on the beaches of Mexico, Mezzanine brings their essence—playful, mysterious, unforgettable—right to your table.

What Is Pi Ta Khon?

Held in the small town of Dan Sai in the Loei Province of northern Thailand, Pi Ta Khon (sometimes translated as “Ghost Festival”) is part of a three-day celebration rooted in Buddhist tradition and local folklore. It’s not about fear or superstition—it’s about joy, community, and honoring the spirit world with a wink and a dance.

The story goes something like this: when Prince Vessantara, a previous incarnation of the Buddha, returned home from exile, his people were so overjoyed they threw a celebration so wild and long that even the dead were awakened to join. And so, each year, villagers don vibrant hand-painted masks, tall and wide and wildly expressive, and process through the streets in a playful, raucous parade that blurs the line between the living and the spirit world.

It’s carnival meets myth. Ritual meets revelry. And while it’s distinctly Thai, its spirit—connection, joy, and color—is universal.

The Art of the Mask

The most iconic symbol of Pi Ta Khon is the mask. Crafted from coconut husks and rice husks, each one is hand-painted with exaggerated features: long noses, wild eyes, curling smiles. No two are the same. They’re cheeky, surreal, otherworldly—but always joyful.

There’s a kind of freedom in these masks, in what they represent. Transformation. Permission to be playful. A celebration of creativity, of mischief, of the strange. At Mezzanine, you’ll see subtle nods to this spirit woven into the experience—not through costume, but through atmosphere. The boldness of the design. The unexpected moments of delight. The deep respect for Thai artistry and tradition—always approached with reverence, never replication.

Thai Folklore, Reimagined in Tulum

Mezzanine isn’t trying to recreate Thailand. It’s distilling the essence of Thai culture—the elegance, the heat, the mysticism, the warmth—and infusing it into a beachfront retreat that feels both grounded and otherworldly.

You taste it in the food: complex, aromatic, and prepared with reverent precision. Chef Garn Surasak’s menu isn’t fusion—it’s faithful. Deeply rooted in Thai culinary tradition, with just enough local flourish to surprise you.

You feel it in the energy of the space: sensual and soulful, textured with teak, linen, and shadows that move with the sun.

And you sense it most in the way Mezzanine treats experience as ritual. Whether you’re watching the waves with a lemongrass cocktail in hand, or slipping into a slow, quiet dinner beneath the lantern glow, there’s a kind of ceremony to it all. Not performative. Just intentional.

Spirit, Not Spectacle

Pi Ta Khon reminds us that celebration doesn’t need to be grand to be meaningful. It’s about gathering. Honoring something larger than ourselves—be it ancestry, community, or just the sheer improbability of being alive together on this planet.

At Mezzanine, that same ethos is present, albeit quieter. It’s the feeling of being wrapped in warmth—not just from the sun, but from the people who welcome you here. It’s the kind of place where staff remember your name and your favorite wine. Where strangers become familiar faces by the second morning. Where every detail has been designed not to impress, but to elevate the way you feel.

Come for the Beach. Stay for the Story.

You don’t need to book a flight to Loei to experience the spirit of Pi Ta Khon. You can find it in the creative spark that runs through Mezzanine—through its food, its people, and its reverence for culture that runs deeper than décor.

Here, on the edge of Tulum’s wild coast, Thailand lives—not in replicas, but in rhythm. In spirit. In soul.