Chiang Mai (Northern Thailand) Tourist Guide


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A Quick Visit to
a Karen Wedding

Text & Images: Tachyon

It is getting hotter and hotter every summer. This year, the temperature in Chiang Mai city has been hitting the roof. Thank God for the chance at Songkran to be a little cooler. But this month isn't likely to be any less torrid.

Well, I'm gonna help you cool off by telling you about a trip that was done earlier this hot season but really wasn't so bad because...

Read on.

Thinking of where to go where the weather wouldn't be quite so sticky as down here in the valley, I remembered the press trip last year to attend a wedding of a young Karen couple up in the Wat Chan Pine Forest, and thought that might make a refreshing destination. Why? Well, because it's pretty cool up there: not quite down to the zero temperatures of the winter, but at least somewhere around a reasonable twenty or so degrees because of the altitude - two, three thousand feet up, high enough for the rainy season to start as early as May, and go on more and more heavily from there on.

We started our journey at lang mor (the back of Chiang Mai University), having downed a couple of anti-car sickness pills before climbing on the creaky old minibus that was going to take us out along the Chiang Mai-Samoeng Road. A strong summer wind blew through the vehicle's open windows and every so often as we twisted and wriggled our way up the road over the intervening mountains, we would get terrific views back over the valley we were leaving, as well as better and better ones of the wilder country ahead.

Now theoretically, it should have taken us only about five hours to get to the remote little community that makes up Wat Chan, right out in the sticks between Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son, but the fact is that with all the stops to take in the view, and snatch a bite to eat and so on, having started at ten in the morning, we didn't arrive till five in the evening, only an hour of good light left. Good job we didn't have any blow-outs.

Of course, if you're in the mood for real adventure, you can take the alternative route that goes north along the Chiang Mai - Chiang Dao road, turning off at Mae Malai on the road to Pai. Much shorter, actually, but you'd better take chains and shovels - not to mention four-wheel drive - because the road that branches off half way to Pai is definitely dicey after rain. And don't forget that what with the weather and the mountain walls around you, darkness can come very early in these parts. Safety first.

We were supposed to spend two days in the Karen village at Wat Chan, so as time was short and Karen weddings don't come along every day we just joined the wedding party as soon as we got there. Carpe diem - seize the day, isn't that right? Seize the day, don't let it float away, and who knows what may come your way.

The couple were something of a celebrity in their Karen community. The groom was Chi Suwichan, a REAL famous Karen musician, and his bride-to-be was a beauty from her village. The ceremony was half Christian - half Karen, with the musician kinsfolk adding colourful touches costume and instrument-wise.

I believe most of you know about the Christian part of a wedding, and what we saw in this respect was just the way it goes globally - you know, a priest, two or more witnesses, the bride-may-kiss-the groom announcement and all that. What you don't often see outside the Karen milieu is the procession to the bride's home formed mainly by the groom's family, relatives and friends...plus oodles of kids in full Karen traditional costume beating drums that were bigger even than they were. Then, once the two parties - bride's and groom's - joined up, the groom had to give a display of his sword-dance skill (maybe to demonstrate his ability to protect the fair bride). The bride and family, meanwhile, had prepared food, drink, tobacco, betel nut, and tea.

What was most impressive about this wedding was the use of music. They sang and performed to traditional themes - all with the underlying teachings about love and how to live a wedded life. Then the bride and the groom exchanged personal belongings, in this case the groom handing his wife the sword, and the bride to her husband her old clothes. (I'd just like to say, anyone handing over his sword to his spouse had better be sure of her good intentions - and be an extremely complaisant husband).

Then there was singing, and still more singing. Food was served, and all of the guests had the chance to enjoy yet more singing and dancing - before, during and after the feast.

In the morning, I woke up early and grabbed my camera to go off to take pictures of the pine forest of Wat Chan. It's reckoned to be THE largest pristine pine forest in Thailand. The Karen here have suffered a lot to preserve their birthright, struggling with all their might against the Forestry Industry Organization's logging concessions.

When I saw it in the coool early morning, I could feel right into my bones why this piece of forest must live on, must be preserved. Seeing it through the morning mist gave me sudden understanding as to why there was so much merry artistry in this village.

The pine forest and its charming and romantic beauty are the perfect link to the poetry and beautiful music we'd heard the night before. I just hoped the young married couple would live well, and that their children would be able to enjoy the environment their forefathers have struggled so long and successfully to live sustainably in.

There are buses leaving the Chang Puak Bus Station for Wat Chan Pine Forest every day at 9 and 11 a.m. Check for more information at 0-5321-1586.