Local Thai Wedding

We have been invited to a local girl%26#39;s wedding somewhere north of Kho Lak in November when we will be in Phuket but have never been to a Thai wedding before.

Wondered if anyone out there can give us some advice:

*what does one wear?

*what is a suitable present or is money the way to go and if so how much?

*Is it an all day affair going into the night? Is one expected to be there for the whole time?

*Should we take our own drinks?

* Will they be offended if we bring our taxi driver to the wedding. He has met Im before when we visited her home. She wants us to stay at her home but we do not wish to impose. I guess being honest my wife wasn%26#39;t too keen on the bathroom and toilet facilities so best we do not stay the night.

Any help would be appreciated as we want to do the right thing.

Should be a great experience

Docker Kev

Local Thai Wedding

Answer to your questions:-

1. You should wear smart attire,i.e, shirt with slack etc. But no jeans, please.

2. Money would be good and Baht 500-1,000 as a gift is a normal practice.

3. You don%26#39;t need to be at the wedding for the whole time. You may give her an excuse when you think you have to go.

4. Don%26#39;t worry about the drinks. There%26#39;s a lot during this celebration.

Enjoy your stay in Thailand.

Local Thai Wedding

When you give the money, place it in an envelope with your names written on the front. You hand it to the bride on arrival. Don%26#39;t take your own drinks, as that would offend.

Agree with Dragonc, Don%26#39;t take your own drinks. If you take your own drinks, they would think that they don%26#39;t complete to take care their guests.

If she has ever invited you to stay at her home, it seems like she think that you%26#39;re her close friend, so don%26#39;t worry about bringing your driver there.

If she give you invitation card, put the money in its envelope. If she doesn%26#39;t give you, put it in a envelope as Dragonc said, and the envelope should be pink or red color.

Thanks you guys that information is a great help.

Some more question:

Do weddings generally start in the morning, afternoon or evening ?

Is the format a church service followed by a reception as we do in western countries ?

If we were to leave early to travel back at what point in proceedings would that not offend?

DockerKev

It varies. The actual wedding often (but not always) takes place in the morning at a private home with family and close friends, with a reception in the afternoon or evening at a hotel. If you%26#39;ve had an invite, it depends on how close you are to the family as to whether its for the whole thing, or just the reception (more likely). And the colour of the cash envelope really doesn%26#39;t matter; most people use plain white.

I got the impression that they last all day and you can sort of show up and leave as you please.

I think you are not supposed to wear black also.

Smart casual is fine.

Money is the appropriate gift. $10 AUD is fine. You do not habve to show that you are a big shot by giving more. DO NOT hand it to the bride when you arrive! You will find there is a big box near the entrance to the reception, house etc. Put the money in the envelope containing your invitation and place it in the box.

The family will be lined up at the entrance and you will be offered a glass of whisky, usually Johnny Walker black. It is polite to accept, drink it and hand back the glass. Wai the family and the bride and groom when you arrive.

It would be impolite to bring your taxi driver unless he/she has been invited.

You can leave pretty much anytime after the food.

Definitely DO NOT take your own drinks; this would be insulting.

Regarding dress code, please do not wear black. This can be offen offensive as we Thai traditionally wear black to funerals only.

Kev,

I can agree with the advice given. We were at a wedding in Khao Lak earlier in the year. We were a little apprehensive, at first feeling like gatecrashers! However, this feeling soon disappeared and we had a great time. You will find everyone is very friendly. I still smile when I look at the photograph of us with the bride and groom and their families!

Totally agree to avoid black clothing.

Now the color of the cash envelope seems like doesn%26#39;t matter in Thailand, but there are many locals live in Khoa Lak, Ta Kua Pa, my hometown and nearby still hold on this tradition as usual. They would feel luck when you bring red tone color come in their wedding party or their house especially if they are descendant of original locals there. Most locals here usually use plain white envelope for ordination and funerals.