THAILAND VALENTINE'S : Wedding on Elephant Back, Surin Province

Tuesday, February 10, 2009 Category : , , , 0

14 February -- Valentine's Day

Venue: Elephant Study Centre, Surin Province (457 km northeast of Bangkok)


Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) invites you to join the ceremony of "Wedding on Elephant Back" at Surin Province. This year, there are 41 couples joining the ceremony.

As elephants and Thais have maintained a close relationship since ancient time, many of the creatures are domesticated mostly in the north and northeastern regions of Thailand such as in Lampang and Surin provinces.

Yearly on 14 February, the Elephant Study Centre in Surin Province holds a Wedding on Elephant Back" ceremony. The couples getting married in this style will go through the "sat-te" ceremony which is the traditional wedding ceremony of the kui* people, which is unique and full of meaning. On the wedding day, the brides and grooms will be traditionally dressed. The brides wear a crown made of palm leaf while the grooms wear a three-coloured auspicious rope.
Before the "sat-te" ceremony begins, the elephant processions of the brides will first arrive at the precinct. Then, the majestic elephant procession of the grooms will reach the ritual ground to start the engagement and wedding procedures. After that, the couples will continue the "sat-te" ceremony in cottages specially built. After finishing this stage, the couples will ride on elephants to register their marriages. The last stage is to joyfully feed the elephants.

--------------------------------------------
*Kui refers to the descendants of the Mon-Khmer people mostly live in Surin Province.

Couples interested in participating the ceremony can contact all district administrative offices in Surin.

For more information :

Surin Local Administrative Office, tel: +66 (0) 4451 1975, +66 (0) 4451 1599
TAT Surin Office, tel: +66 (0) 4451 4447 to 8

DO & DON'T IN THAILAND

Wednesday, February 4, 2009 Category : , , , , , 0

SOCIAL CUSTOMS Do & Don't in Thailand

THE don't of Thai social behavior are less clearly defined than these concerning the monarchy or religion - especially in a city like Bangkok where western customs are better known and more widely accepted. However, what is acceptable in Bangkok may be much less so in the countryside where the old ways are still strong. Here, then, are a few things to keep in minds.
WAI :
  • Thais don't normally shake hands when they greet another, but instead press the palms together in a prayer-like gesture called wai. Generally, a younger person wais an older, who returns it. Watch how the Thais do it, and you'll soon catch on.


POINT YOUR FINGERS :

  • It's considered rude to point your foot at a person, so try to avoid doing so when sitting opposite anyone, and following the conception that foot is a low limb, so don't point your foot to show anything to anyone, but use fingers instead.

HOLDING HANDS :

  • Public displays of affection between men and women are frowned upon. You may see some very westernized young Thai couples holding hands, but that's as far as it goes in the polite society.

CONTROL YOUR TEMPER :

  • Losing your temper, especially in public, will more than likely get you nowhere. The Thais think such displays denote poor manners, and you are more apt to get what you want by keeping a cool head and concealing your emotions.

HEAD :

  • Thais regard the head as the highest part of the body. As a result, they don't approve of patting anyone there, even in a friendly gesture. Similarly, if you watch Thais at a social gathering, you'll notice that young people go to considerable lengths to keep thier heads lower than those of older ones, to avoid giving the impression of "looking down" on them This isn't always possible, of course, but it's the effort that counts.

Powered by Blogger.