TRANG UNDERWATER WEDDING CEREMONY

TRANG UNDERWATER WEDDING CEREMONY

February 13 - 15, 2007

Pak Meng Beach, Trang Province

The inaugural Millennium Trang Underwater Wedding Ceremony was held for the first time on Valentine's Day 2000. The event which attracted 30 participants from 28 countries set a new Guinness World Record and put Trang on the world map. Video footage of the underwater wedding extravaganza was seen on international TV networks as well as in print media.

Given its uniqueness and popularity, Trang’s underwater wedding ceremony has become an annual event.

Although it is named the underwater wedding ceremony, the promotion was designed to promote the various interesting aspects of the traditional Thai wedding ceremony and presents an opportunity for couples from around the world to personally experience the enchanting aspects of the Thai wedding and its time-honoured traditions such as the colourful 'khan maak' procession.

The ‘khan maak’ processionThe ‘khan maak’ procession is a ceremonial visit to the bride's parents to ask for their daughter's hand. The groom is accompanied by an entourage of relatives and close friends as he calls on the bride's parents to make offerings of betel nuts, arecas and dowry placed in a bowl or tray. Spirited processions are accompanied by folk dances and songs and enlivened by the exhilarating beat of a long drum troupe. All of these elements add to the visual spectacle of the ceremony.

As the bridegroom makes his way to pay his respects to the bride's parents, in traditional ceremonies, the bridegroom's entourage passes through 'silver' and 'golden gates' where he is quizzed by friends and relatives of the bride in a friendly banter of questions and answers. Once the offerings have been made to the bride's parents, respected elders and distinguished guests pour scented lustral water over the hands of the bride and groom's respectively in a blessing ceremony.

'Kin nieow' ritual Trang province will also be sharing another aspect of local culture and tradition with the couples. The traditional ‘kin nieow’ rite performed on the eve of the wedding day will also be featured as part of the underwater wedding ceremony. It is an informal gathering of relatives and close friends of the bride and groom to celebrate the joyous occasion. The signature dish served during the evening’s meal is a chicken curry prepared with coconut cream and served with glutinous rice or ‘khao neow’, more popularly referred to as ‘sticky’ rice. Hence the word ‘neow’ which means sticky is derived from the words ‘khao neow’ or glutinous rice and symbolizes a life-long bond that binds the couple together.

Blessing ceremony A blessing ceremony takes place at Pak Meng Beach. Respected elders and distinguished guests pour scented lustral water over the hands of the bride and groom's respectively and offer their good wishes.

To be eligible, couples, relatives and guests taking part in the event are required to be certified divers. Married couples who wish to renew their vows in an extraordinary but memorable fashion are also eligible.

The Trang Underwater Wedding Ceremony was originally launched by Thai Airways International as a novel concept to promote tourism to Trang in Southern Thailand.

PROGRAMME

February 13, 2007

10.30 The bridal couples and other guests arrive at Trang airport. Upon arrival,

the party is greeted by welcome ceremony hosted by Trang province.

Transfer from the airport to the Thumrin Thana Hotel

17.00 The "khan maak" procession to Somdej Phra Srinagarindra 95 Park Bridal

couples make their way through the city streets in traditional ‘tuk tuk’

vehicles, the local mode of transport in Trang province. The colourful

procession is led by a long-drum troupe and accompanied by colourful

parades consisting of the ‘OTOP’ parade, marching bands, music bands and

decorated vehicles.

18.30 Welcome reception at Somdej Phra Srinagarindra 95 Park with delicious local

fare prepared by local restaurants being served. The ‘Kin Nieow’ traditional rite is

performed and the evening ends with a grand fireworks display.

‘Kin Nieow’ ritual

February 14, 2007
08.45 The party arrives at Pak Meng Beach where the traditional Thai blessing ritual

is performed. Respected elders and distinguished guests pour scented lustral

water over the hands of the bride and groom's respectively and offer their good

wishes. The couple change into their dive suits and prepare for the underwater

wedding ceremony. At a selected site two metres offshore and between Pling

Island and Meng Island, an official traditional Thai-style marriage registration is

conducted underwater at a depth of 15 metres. The couple is accompanied

by five witnesses while relatives and guests watch the underwater proceedings

as it is relayed live by close-circuit TV. The couples also release one million baby

shrimps and a Giant Clam in the reef area in a traditional Thai merit-making

gesture.

11.30 Return to Pak Meng Beach for a hosted lunch

18.00 Celebration banquet on the ‘Underwater Wedding Beach’ on the premises of the

Rajamangala Srivijaya Insitute of Technology

February 15, 2007

08.30 The married couples plant a 'love tree' at the Tung Kai Botanical Gardens

(Southern Botanical Gardens)

Contact information:

TAT Southern Region Office: Area 2

Tel: +66 (0) 7534 6515-6

Fax: +66 (0) 7534 6517

E-mail: tatnksri@tat.or.th

Web site: www.underwaterwedding.com