The wedding had two parts: the morning ceremony and the evening reception. My friend told me that the wedding rituals will be a combination of Thai and Chinese traditions.

The morning ceremony had rituals which I have never seen before. It was interesting to see which rituals are Thai or Chinese origin and how the two have been fused together. Fireworks signaled the arrival of the groom and his entourage of family and friends. Deafening drum beats accompanied the Dancing Dragon that escorted the groom. As the entourage approached the bride, friends of the bride barricaded the groom’s path with a golden chain. The groom had to pay an increasing fee to the bride’s friends to let him pass. I got 200 baht for trying to stop him twice.

After the groom and his family offered gifts, the bride’s family allowed the groom to fetch the bride in a separate room for the ceremony to begin. The friends of the bride continued to block the groom and the fees continued to rack up.

I wish I could understand more of the symbolisms behind the rituals. I surmise that the rituals were all about that perpetual promise that the couple will take care of each other in sickness and in health, and until death. I suddenly remember this joke I read in a book: “Marriage is not a word. It’s a sentence.”

The couple sat on the mat with their parents and elders behind them. The exchange of vows were not merely spoken, it involved food. The couple received a ceremonial cup of tea and a plum dessert to serve each other.

The morning ceremony ended with a light meal. The guests spent the afternoon to rest before the evening banquet, which overflowed with food and drinks. I loved the salmon sashimi and the spicy Thai spaghetti with diced pork. With so much wine and liquor, it was only a matter of time before the guests danced like crazy.

Seated at our table was former Finance Minister Tarrin Nimmanahaeminda (whew!), who is well-respected for his cushioning Thailand from the havoc of the Asian Financial Crisis in 1997. The gentlemen in blue-green and red told me that Mr. Tarrin stopped wearing a watch after a trip to the Philippines. Mr. Tarrin told me the story:

In the 70s, my Filipina girlfriend and I we were strolling the banks of Manila bay along Roxas Boulevard. Suddenly, I felt a knife on my neck. A robber was asking for all our belongings. My girlfriend begged the robber to do no harm and just take my watch. She reasoned that Filipinos wouldn’t want to give a bad impression of the country, especially to visitors. The robber agreed. My girlfriend and I were so shook up that we just went back to our hotel.

Since then, Mr. Tarrin never wore a watch again.

The banquet was held at my friend Mon’s restaurant, Kan Eang @ Pier, one of the oldest and best restaurants in Phuket. I highly recommend the papaya salad (somtum), fresh lobsters and tiger prawn, and wide selection of fish. As you dine at Kan Eang, you’ll have a stunning view Chalong Bay.

Written in 2012

Thai Wedding

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