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| Thai Weddings |
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(Pictured Above A Scene From A Traditional Thai Wedding Organised By Us) Orchid of Siam are authorised to provide immigration advice and services by the Immigration Services Commissioner Ref. No. F200500016 Members of the Immigration Law Practitioners' Association.This page contains information about Thai traditional weddings, if you are looking for information on legally marrying in Thailand please see our Marry In Thailand page. We arrange legal marriages in Thailand which now offers the opportunity to marry in a paradise location at a fraction of the cost back home combined with a truly memorable honeymoon, possibly on one of the famous tropical islands. Traditional Thai weddings are normally held in the family home of the bride but they can be held in our offices or at a hotel. Most ladies require the traditional ceremony, although it is not legally recognised as a marriage, for the Buddhist religious beliefs. Buddhist Weddings do not normally take place during the Rainy Retreat known as Khao Pansar which varies in date from year to year as monks are confined to their temples. In the past the custom was for the parents of the bride and groom to matchmake. It was possible the couple did not even know each other. Elders from both families would meet and agree on the engagement, date of the wedding and the dowry to be paid to the parents of the bride. In a traditional Thai family the wife is regarded as inferior to the husband and Thais liken the marriage to an elephant with the wife being the hind legs. A couple traditionally become engaged during a ceremony known as Thong Mun. This is literally the giving of gold by the prospective groom to his fiance. Parents, friends and relatives will attend this ceremony. Thais do not go in for the practice of giving a diamond ring, instead they opt for gold, normally in the form of jewellery. Thailand uses a system of measurement of weight called the baht. A baht is equal to 1/2 a troy ounce or 15.2 grams. Because it is the couple being engaged a minimum of two baht is given. An odd number is never given, the amount must be divisible by two. After the ceremony the couple are known as "kumun" until the day they are married. This means a pair of fiancees. This ceremony may be sometime before the couple marry or it may even be on the same day immediately before the marriage ceremony itself. For more information on gold please see our Gold in Thailand page for useful information. The "sinsod" or dowry is supposed to be a compensation to the family of the bride for the loss of a worker. The "Sinsod Tongman" ceremony is a very important part of the marriage. Gold, money or real estate are presented to literally, in Thai, "to pay for the mother's milk." After this ceremony an astrologer would be consulted to give advice on auspicious dates for the engagement, the pouring of lustral water and the entrance to the bridal chamber. The wedding itself is an elaborate ceremony presided over by 3,5,7 or 9 Buddhist monks. It is always held in the morning as monks cannot eat after midday. A Buddha image, an altar, flowers, candles and incense sticks are all required. The monks sit on the left of the altar and recite various Pali chants to bless the couple. The lustral water ceremony is performed immediately afterwards by a village elder who will start by placing powdered incense on the forehead of the bride and groom and then placing a coil of special string "sai monkon" on the heads of the couple to show they are "tied" together, he will then pour lustral water from an ornately decorated conch shell over the hands of the bride and groom. All guests will then pour water over the couples hands. A wedding party usually occurs the same evening which culminates in the wedding chamber ceremony. For this a married elderly couple will prepare the bed and place rice, peas and sesame seeds on it as a symbol of fertility. Coins symbolise wealth, water and powder are for warmheartedness and happiness. Other good luck symbols may be used in addition.The elderly couple will then light candles and incense sticks. Family and friends will then make two barriers, the silver gate and the golden gate, through which the couple must pass on their way to the bedroom and a small amount of money is usually given to pass the barriers. On reaching the bedroom the couple will prostrate themselves before the elderly couple and their parents who will offer them advice on their future responsibilities whilst blessing their union. The guests and parents then leave the newly married couple alone for the night. Nowadays a quick ceremony usually replaces the traditional one and everything is done at once. Gold rings or necklaces are generally exchanged and the dowry is offered as tradition demands. Nowadays many families hand the dowry back to the couple as a wedding gift, some families do not require a dowry as part of the ceremony and some need to keep the money. Dowries range from 50,000 Baht up to 250,000 Baht although this last figure is very rarely asked for. In a highly publicised recent marriage of a Thai celebrity a massive 25 million Baht was paid. We do not handle dowries under any circumstances and we leave it up to the couple to decide on how much, if anything, is an appropriate gift to the family of the bride and how much the man is pleased to pay. Obviously if a girl has previously been married or has had a child the dowry will be lower. If you are fortunate enough to be invited to attend a Thai traditional wedding you will be expected to attend the wedding party afterwards. During this festivity the bridal couple will walk round the guests offering a small souvenir of the occasion. As this is done guests place a sealed envelope containing money on the proffered tray. No names are written on the envelopes. You can also bring virtually anything else you wish to offer as a present in addition to the envelope but presents are usually household goods or something the couple have requested. At a Thai wedding names are never written in red ink as this symbolises death and red ink is only ever used to write the name of the deceased next to a coffin in a temple. A Traditional Thai wedding is great fun and truly memorable!! |
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