Baba Wedding Phuket 2015

The Baba Weddings in Phuket is a celebration which I look forward to going (the list is below) - I believe that this year it was the 7th Annual Festival.

The festival recognises the time of the strength (and status) of the tin mining in Phuket and the Chinese dominance of it. 

The 'event' started on the day before the parade - here's an itinerary. I visited the beginning of the parade which was at Hongsyok house - which is usually a Private Home in Phuket Old Town which is open to to media on this day.

Clothes were splendid and smiles were abundant in the well manicured gardens.

The brass band started and the Parade began - leading the way was the Phuket Mayoress.

Children smiled in the outfits.

The Wedding Couples soon followed.

Petals were thrown.

I would like to see the drone photographs.

We walked along the Thalang Road where people were lining the streets.

We reached the Thai Hua museum in Phuket Old Town for a break.

So I ran into a local air-conditioned coffee shop... only to find that there was nobody serving but were all outside watching the parade.

The parade continued and was very quickly followed up by the changing of Thalang Road into the 'Lard Yai' - Walking Street Market and I ended up in Tiny Coffee.

This is a post from 2014 
this is a post from 2013 
this is a post from 2012  
this is a post from 2011 

and this is a post from 2010 

Baba Weddings 2012

After the Por Tor Ceremony and Parade in the last post I took a quick coffee break (three of them) and then made my way to Hongsyok Mansion for it's Second Day.

Hongsyok House

The Baba Wedding Ceremonies have a great deal of history and I believe that it was initially set up as an 'Introductory Service' for the parents of the wealthy Chinese (living in Phuket) to find wives for them.

It has been a ceremonial weekend which I have attended previously (2011 and 2010) but this year I was only able to witness the arrival of the grooms to Hongsyok Mansion.

I was in Phuket Old Town and it was clear - ready for their procession - I proceeded to Hongsyok House (where they decided that I was 'from the media') and fitted right in.  The House was decorated beautifully and adorned with flowers, very soon the 'Baba Ladies' began to arrive dressed in their finery.

Swiftly I found myself in the actual house, this was a very special opportunity because this is an actual home and out of these two days one the home is not open to the public.

Then the grooms arrived in their Limousines and dressed in their white suits - each groom  with the 'introductee' and introduced with a band - fabulous.

Congratulations.

    

Baba Weddings in Phuket - a special event

The Baba Wedding started on the 10th of June in Phuket Town - the event was the Tam Nom Sod Day and took place at the Phuket Merlin Hotel.  It was attended by a great number of Thai people but it looked like there were more women and their finest clothes were out for this evening.

Early the next morning - I nearly didn't make it after a wonderful dinner at Siam Indigo - there was a Tea Ceremony at Hongyok House where thanks were shared with the families of the bride and the groom.

After this there was a plethora of photographs taken and I sat in the lawn with a coffee that I had nipped out for.  Things began to change when the elders of the community (those which were respected the most) were put on rickshaws and the parade through Phuket Town started.

The roads were decorated and there were a plethora of young children dressed in Traditional Thai costume and they waited for the lucky couples to walk by an scatter them with flowers - beautiful.

The parade finished at the Thaihua Museum where photographs were taken - a beautiful building.  Following this short stop the couples were each led to a car and they were driven around the corner to the Chinese Temple where candles were lit and blessings were shared.

Lunch was at the Phuket Governor's house, 
who was one of the lucky couples that day.


Here is a link to read about the history of the Baba Wedding.
This was the event in 2010.

  

Baba Weddings in Phuket - The Special Day (2 of 2)

Smiles all round

I arrived early - well 7 am - and treated myself to a local coffee in a very local coffee shop - opposite the Honda showroom on the corner of Talang Road and Thepkrasattri Road.  A very strong kick start to the morning.

The men arrived dressed in their white suits and were escorted into the TAT office.  Then the crowds began to swell with many of the Thai people dressed in their 'Sunday best'.

There was commotion in the TAT office and I politely had a look inside - the men were being introduced and then escorted upstairs to meet their selected partner.  At this point I can only assume that the grooms 'passed through gates' where money was exchanged.  


Following this all the couples came downstairs and were taken to the Chinese Dragon adjacent to the TAT office.

 Here a Chinese shrine was erected and the couples were taken to the shrine where they were blessed - after which they burnt some paper money in respect for these gods. During this time the Governor of Phuket arrived debonair in his tin-mining period clothing.

The couples then entered the TAT office again where tea was shared with their respective parents. 

The VIPs were then taken by rickshaw along Thalang Road and were followed by an entourage of children dressed in traditional Thai clothing and the bride and groom with their 'matchmakers'.

 

We stopped for a photo opportunity at the Thaihua museum - worth a look.  Then they got into cars adorned with pink ribbon and drove around the corner to Jui Tui Temple - a Chinese Temple in Phuket old town.

Click the photograph for more photographs in the temple.

All the couples paid their respects to the Chinese gods with candles and incense sticks lit - fascinating, I was left speechless .....

Note: if you want to know more about the culture of this event please visit Jamie or Alisdair

    

Baba Weddings in Phuket - Cocktails on the lawn (1 of 2)

On the way home one evening I saw a pink poster with some details about a Phuket Baba Wedding 

- this was something I wanted to see.

I could find very little information about it until I got a link from Jamie with some details.

On the Saturday my wife and my daughter attended the cocktail party in the Hongyok House on Thepkrasattiri Road in Phuket Town - opposite TIny Coffee.  This was a mansion set back from the road just on the outskirts of Phuket Town.

Ladies wearing very glamourous but traditional clothes were in attendance and there was an orchestra playing at the front - we were in a different world.  There was an explanation given to us from the stage but I was too taken in by the atmosphere to really tell you all about a Baba wedding.

We were introduced to the couples and their 'matchmakers' and it was fascinating - if you were anyone of importance in Phuket you were there - there were even people watching us from outside.

The wedding was the next day!