The Build-Up To A Thai Wedding
Posted on | January 2, 2012 | No Comments
There are various traditions with regard to Thai weddings, as there are in the majority of countries. The two most predominant religions are Islam (in a couple of provinces near to Malaysia) and Buddhism in the overwhelming majority of Thailand.
However, despite the fact that the overwhelming majority of Thais are Buddhist, there are regional differences in the process of getting married. I live in northern Thailand in Uttaradit, around 25 km from the first Thai capital of Sri Satchenalai, which implies that the ceremonies from this region are the oldest in Thailand.
The process of getting wed in Thailand begins with a young man and a young woman. That seems self-evident, but Thais do not normally undergo arranged marriages. Traditionally, if the couple move in together, they are betrothed, but this tradition is breaking down.
If the young couple are sure that they want to get married, then they ask their parents to sort out the details. The first thing to sort out is the dowry. In Europe, the dowry is traditionally paid by the bride’s parents, but in Thailand, it is paid by the groom’s.
Until 1932, it was very common for men to have mistresses called ‘Little Wives’. The practice is officially frowned upon, but it still goes on. After all, there is no social security and if a woman is left by her husband, voluntarily or because of an early death, she has to find a method of taking care of herself and her children.
This is the origin of the reason why the groom pays the dowry. If the man fails to take care of his ‘First Wife’, she is able to leave him and she has her dowry to sell so that she and the children are not penniless. It gives her a breathing space to find a job or a new husband.
Most women opt a dowry of pure gold. Thai women prefer less, but purer gold than the average European. Thai gold is normally 98%-100% pure and is normally 24 carat.
So, the parents of the loving couple meet and they discuss ‘a cost’ – we prefer the term dowry. The dowry comes in two parts: gold and cash. As in English we have a pound sterling and a pound avoir-du-pois, Thais have a Baht as their currency and a Baht as a weight (of gold).
One Baht of gold is 15.2 grammes. Internationally, a Troy ounce of gold is 31.10 grammes. So, one Baht of gold is only less than half-an-ounce. The Thai Baht in currency varies as do all currencies, but is now , quite stable at 30 Baht = $1.
A typical dowry may be two Baht in gold and 50,000 Baht in cash. The two Baht in gold goes to the bride as an advanced divorce payment and the 50,000 Baht goes to the mother-in-law. She can do what she wants with this money.
She would usually spend most of it on the wedding party and the remainder, she would usually give to the newly-weds. Honeymoons are not normal in the rural north, but as the economy is improving, young people do increasingly want to take a honeymoon.
Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on numerous subjects, but is now concerned with Khao Phansa – The Candle Festival. If you would like to know more, please visit our website at Package Holidays to Thailand.
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