Engagement or Khanmak Ceremony (พิธีหมั้นหรือพิธียกขันหมาก)
The Thai dowry system is known as the 'Sin Sodt'. Traditionally, the groom will be expected to pay a sum of money to the family, to compensate them and to demonstrate that the groom is financially capable of taking care of their daughter. Sometimes, this sum is purely symbolic, and will be returned to the bride and groom after the wedding has taken place.
Khanmak (ขันหมาก) :
Khanmake is the basic pieces arranged to a tray or bowl. The persons who make the Khanmak should be the couple who are in perfect loving life which can lead or hold the tips married life. Some may be female or a man who worked as a matchmaker. Things to put in the tray or bowl may be different by culture of each area. Generally there are the young betel nuts 4 or 8 pieces, and need to be with the separated couple branches in 2 or 4 pieces. That’s with the belief of couple tip in unity. Then use red lime paste a little on every betel nut, also paste on betel leaves in each of 5 - 10 pieces Then put these betel nuts and leaves on the tray. This is that’s why called Khan Mak. Khan means bowl, Mak mean betel nuts.
Khanmak Tray
Khanmake is the basic pieces arranged to a tray or bowl. The persons who make the Khanmak should be the couple who are in perfect loving life which can lead or hold the tips married life. Some may be female or a man who worked as a matchmaker. Things to put in the tray or bowl may be different by culture of each area. Generally there are the young betel nuts 4 or 8 pieces, and need to be with the separated couple branches in 2 or 4 pieces. That’s with the belief of couple tip in unity. Then use red lime paste a little on every betel nut, also paste on betel leaves in each of 5 - 10 pieces Then put these betel nuts and leaves on the tray. This is that’s why called Khan Mak. Khan means bowl, Mak mean betel nuts.
Currently the engagement ceremony and the wedding ceremony combine to a single day for simple process. In the engagement ceremony, groom and relatives will come in groups to bride’s house, that call Khanmak Toe ( ขันหมากโท ). For the wedding ceremony, will all Khanmak Aek (ขันหมากเอก). Nowadays people prefer the simple way to combine engagement and wedding ceremonies together and bring both Khanmak Toe and Khanmake Aek in same time. The Khan Mak Aek will be more decoration than Khanmak Toe.
The groom’s parade will mostly lead with the long drum procession, then Khanmak’s parade, and follow by jolly followers.
Khanmak's parade will begin by acclamation, to get together three times to signal that Khan Mak ready to move. Long-acting and playing drums for the very great about it. When the parade came to the bride's house party or venu, the Khan Mak’s parade acclaim for each other three times at the party, to tell the bride that Khan Mak’s parade has arrived.
The religious component of marriage ceremonies between Thai Muslims are markedly different from that described above. The Imam of the local mosque, the groom, the father of the bride, men in the immediate family and important men in the community sit in a circle during the ceremony, conducted by the Imam. All the women, including the bride, sit in a separate room and do not have any direct participation in the ceremony. The secular component of the ceremony, however, is often nearly identical to the secular part of Thai Buddhist wedding ceremonies. The only notable difference here is the type of meat served to guests (goat and/or beef instead of pork). Thai Muslims frequently, though not always, also follow the conventions of the Thai dowry system.