Jump to content

Trang Prepares For Upcoming Underwater Wedding Festival This Month


Jai Dee

Recommended Posts

Trang prepares for upcoming underwater wedding festival this month with 1 million shrimps and 60 clams

The province of Trang is preparing to stage an underwater wedding event for year 2006 this month, where 60 couples will join in.

Mr. Cherdphan Na Songkhla (เชิดพันธ์ ณ สงขลา), the Trang Provincial Governor, said that 60 couples from countries such as Spain, Australia, United Kingdom, South Korea and Taiwan will take part in the wedding event that will be held between February 13th and 15th, in Sikao (สิเกา) district in Trang.

One million shrimps have been prepared for the couples and other participants to release at the festival, aimed at restoring the natural balance and providing a protein source for locals. The release of the shrimps and another 60 clams will also be in commemoration of His Majesty the King's 60th anniversary of accession to the throne.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 09 Febuary 2006

Another related thread here.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Underwater nuptials brought more than 50 couples to Trang yesterday

549000002472501.JPEG

Tying the knot is one thing, but how about taking the plunge? The Underwater Wedding Ceremony in Trang on Valentine’s Day added a whole new element to the destination wedding as couples got hitched a few meters below sea level in the azure depths of the Andaman Sea. For the past ten years, lovers have been leaping into a new life together in this event that is anything but a cookie cutter affair.

But why do it? Some cite love, others see it as a renewal of love. Truth be told, it’s also a publicity blitz for the province, and many are just along for the sponsored ride.

Couples from around the world stepped off a Nok Air flight where they were met by classical dance troupes, a shower of flower petals, and welcome drinks – the neon blue hue of the beverage made it clear that it was time to party. The event had more sponsors than a sporting event – couples wore white T-shirts with a dozen business logos and a red UBC baseball cap.

The festival started with just one couple who fell in love during an eco-tourism event. This year there were 54 couples. There were supposed to be 60 pairs of lovebirds in celebration of HM the King’s Diamond Jubilee, but, at the last minute, some couples couldn’t make it. Thankfully, the number didn’t dim the brightness of any smiling faces. Even though it was raining lightly, the provincial publicity campaign was in full force, and by the end, got its message across: Trang is a romantic destination that’s ready to welcome more tourists.

Before the wedding ceremony on Valentines Day, the brides and grooms gathered at the Thumrin Thana Hotel to primp for a parade around town. Their makeup – for both men and women – was done by blush-brush wielding kathoeys. The couples were wrapped in traditional Trang wedding garb, a batik sarong and lace blouse for women and a shorter sarong topped by a pink-collared shirt for the men. Photos were snapped and wedding rings were fitted, each a plain silver band with a small diamond and “Underwater Wedding Ceremony” etched on the back. Police-escorted double decker buses brought the betrothed to the center of town, where it seemed much of the city was on the streets applauding and waving banners. The Trang Chamber of Commerce bused children in to support the festival (don’t worry, the kids didn’t miss school, it was a holiday). As each couple’s names were announced, they descended steps and little kids showered them with flowers. Though this event was immortalized in the Guiness Book of World Records 2000 as the “The Largest Underwater Wedding Ceremony,” many of the couples involved are staying on dry land. This year only 17 of the couples had their wedding certificates signed underwater.

Underwater or not, it doesn’t really matter. Either way the certificate is only symbolic and not legally binding. So if one breaks up post-wedding, there will be no alimony. So why get all wet, if “‘til death-do-you-part” isn’t even what’s achieved? Everyone has different reasons.

Yu Hsing Liu and Hsuan Kuang Chen, from Taiwan, have been together for seven years and are just testing the waters. Liu said he was pressured by his dive school teacher to go a step deeper in the relationship by being part of the ceremony. “This is a good test,” says Liu. “We’ll try [being married] first and if it works, we’ll do the real thing.”

While there were some unmarried couples in attendance, most were already hitched. They viewed the gathering as a second honeymoon, a way to recall those vows they made so long ago. Ahlia Daley has been married for more than a decade, but it didn’t stop her from wanting to do it all over again. “It’s really nice to stop the flow of life and focus on being romantic again,” says the American.

Maria Sanchezfiron from Spain, didn’t find out until a week before the event that her wedding certificate would not be binding. “I’m already married so it’s okay,” she says. “It’s a symbol and anyway, it’s a party!”

To about 80 percent of the attendees, taking part in the ceremony required some luck. Sponsors – the Trang Chamber of Commerce, UBC, Thai Airways and Peter Stone, the jewelry supplier – fully funded many couples on their romantic getaway. Pariya Ka won her spot on the trip by sending a winning answer through SMS to a UBC contest. “We would have never come,” says Pariya. She points to her groom. “He’s not romantic,” she says.

The couples enjoyed another taste of the Trang traditional wedding ceremony, called khao niao. It literally means sticky rice and is part of the wedding dinner. Sticky rice is symbolic of a family sticking together, and the stickier the rice is, the better the prospects for a good marriage. The couples fed each other heart-shaped chunks of sticky rice and got treated to an excellent fireworks finale.

On Valentine’s Day, 17 couples took the plunge off Pak Meng Beach. They took a three-minute trip to a position off the coast and, accompanied by an official in uniform from the registrar’s office, they dove into the depths where they were wed.

Next year the ceremony is expected to be larger. The chairman of the Trang Chamber of Commerce says he believes the word will spread and invited everyone to get married again at the same time each year. “It will be even better,” he says.

Another promising sign was that a Japanese agency specializing in exotic weddings was on the premises, scoping out the underwater world for prospective clients.

“The Japanese like something unique, a bit different,” says Jerry Suppan, who offers elephant trek nuptials and skydiving vows. “Trang does that.”

Source: ThaiDay - 15 February 2006

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.




×
×
  • Create New...