FLORA IN COURTSHIP AND ROMANCE
Contemporary Western and Contemporary Thai

When it comes to romance, Thais are expected to be very discrete. Since public displays of intimacy are frowned upon, the only common display of affection is the hom kaem, or ‘sniff-kiss’. This polite inhalation at the cheek is generally reserved for family members (particularly between older and younger relatives) and exchanged by bride and groom at their wedding reception.

This subtlety in Thai culture makes ‘saying it with flowers’ an indispensable vehicle for the expression of feelings. Flowers are symbolic in relationships, whether ritual or romantic. Beyond their physical beauty and fragrance, the names and cultural meanings of certain flowers convey intent in courtship and marriage rites.

These local ways add luster to the international flower customs to which Thailand also caters. The country supplies flora for any romantic occasion, and hosts honeymoons and weddings for couples from across the world.

ROSE TO THE OCCASION
Red, long-stemmed roses make a statement as clear in the Thai kingdom as elsewhere: chan rak ter — “I love you”. Rose vendors ply nightlife areas and florists brim with the bloom every February, for Thais adopt St Valentine’s Day as they do any opportunity to celebrate. Other Western floral conventions adapted by Thais include posies, vase arrangements and blossoming archways.

Roses express Thai tradition when part of a garland, the archetypal offering of devotion. Rose buds typically culminate garland pendants, while individually folded petals create blushes of red in the garland’s threaded patterns.

Knee-deep swathes of multi-coloured roses are a mainstay of flower markets in Bangkok and Chiang Mai. Myriad components of a bouquet can be gathered there, from demure daisies to suggestive anthuriums. Surprising a loved one with a room full of roses, carnations or chrysanthemums is unusually affordable in Thailand. Visiting a flower market at night to gather blossoms makes a charming date in itself.

No flower is more sensual than the orchid. The celebrated shapes and hues of each genus evolved in order to invite, seduce and propagate. Blessed with myriad orchid species, Thailand grows this prized plant in abundance at everyman prices. An orchid placed on the hotel pillow whispers “sweet dreams”.

FLORAL FANTASY
Tropical flowers set a particularly seductive mood since the blooms tend to be big, bright and fleshy. Portfolios from Bangkok’s palatial wedding photography studios feature fiancées pertly posing with blossoms tucked behind their ear, in a classic ‘South Seas’ image. Luscious red hibiscus and dainty white frangipani top the list.

Thai spas take the paradisiacal imagery further, employing plants both in essential oils and petal-strewn aromatherapy baths.

BRIDE AND BLOOM
Flowers feature throughout Thai ceremonies of courtship and marriage. Historically, sets of betel/areca nut, called khan maak, were presented to elder relatives as a dowry. Sets of equipment made of precious metals became heirlooms passed down through generations. While few Thais today chew betel, the khan maak remains a timeless wedding offering. A khan maak set also includes natural components like bai ngoen (silver leaf), bai tong (golden leaf), mung beans, sesame seeds and rice.

At sunrise on the wedding day, the bride and groom make an offering of jasmine and champa to the Buddha. During the morning merit-making ceremony, the couple present to the monks both garlands and flora known for hardiness, such as orchids, pandanus leaves and the baan mai ru roi — the forever-blooming, never-wilting globe amaranth. The aromatic lustral water that monks sprinkle over the celebrants contains auspicious leaves, such as bai ngoen, bai tong, bai makroot (Kaffir Lime or Leech Lime leaves, som poi (Soap Pod or Soap Nut) and jasmine.

Frequently, a long string of dok rak drapes around the crown of both bride and groom, uniting the pair under perfume. Each likely wears a pendant garland around their neck and another upon one wrist. Marriages in northern or northeastern style involve vows exchanged at a bai sri — an offering tray decked in folded banana leaf, flowers and life-sustaining foodstuffs to bind soul to body. Contemporary flower designers now combine Thai and foreign traditions in huge-scale wedding installations.

Many nuptials conclude with guests showering bowlfuls of petals and puffed rice on the newlyweds. And when a groom gets to sniff-kiss his bride, that moment to savour for a lifetime will be redolent with the fragrance of Thai flowers.

• Baan mai ruu roei
  The Globe Amaranth: Gomphrena globosa
  Botanical family: Amaranthaceae

• Bai ngoen (silver leaf), Bai tong (golden leaf)
  Caricature plant: Graptophyllum pictum
  Botanical family: Acanthaceae

• Bai makroot
  Kaffir Lime or Leech Lime leaves : Citrus hystix DC.
  Botanical family: Rutaceae

• Champa
  Michelia champaca
  Botanical family: Magnoliaceae

• Dok rak (love flower)
  Rak means love in Thai and is abbreviated from
  ‘Araka’ as in the Araka tree of India
  Calotropis giantea

• Som poi
  Soap Pod or Soap Nut
  Acacia concinna
  Botanical family: Leguminosae

• Mali
  Jasmine, Star Jasmine, Scented Star Jasmine, Arabian Jasmine
  Jasminum sambac
  Botanical family: Oleaceae