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Bai Sri is an ancient Thai custom and tradition performed in various auspicious occassions for individuals, weddings, house blessing, etc. The Bai Sri is a blessing ceremony to bestow happiness and prosperity to a person or place. The whole ceremony involves a lot of intricate preparation of food and flower arrangements. The ceremony features a beautifully-shaped ornament called a ‘khrueng bai sri ton’, made of elaborately-folded banana leaves. A container is beautifully decorated with fresh flowers and banana leaves. This ritual is influenced by Prama (Hindi saint) who believed that Bai Sri is a place for god and symbolic of good luck and sucess. It is thought to bring courage and confidence and is celebrated for ordinary people to the royalty.

Above: Closeup of floral offering with orange Champaca (‘chom-pii’ in Thai) and Ginger Red Torch. The tips of the banana leaves have purple Globe Amaranth and white Dok Ruk (Flower of Love). The arrangement is mounted on a double lacquered tray.

Bai Sri in a religious function for a novice.

Bai Sri in a religious function for a novice.

As per traditions, the nine-tier is only for the sovereign king and queen.

As per traditions, the nine-tier is only for the sovereign king and queen.

The popular forms of the Bai Sri offerings are the Bai Sri Pak Cham and Bai Sri Yai. Bai Sri Pak Cham is small and looks like a bowl. A section of banana trunk can be used to make this form of Bai Sri, which is often used in a ceremony to worship deities and in a ceremony to pay homage to teachers. Bai Sri Yai is generally used in significant events, such as a royal ceremony to strengthen the royal Khwan. According to ancient traditions, a nine-tier Bai Sri is for the King and the Queen, a seven-tier Bai Sri is for a prince or a princess, a five-tier Bai Sri is for the royal guest with the status of a president, a three-tier Bai Sri is for a minister or for use in the wedding of a royal grandchild.

A Bai Sri for the vital spirit or 'khwan'

A Bai Sri for the vital spirit or 'khwan'.

Bai Sri ceremony is a Thai welcoming ceremony that is more tradition than religion. The Thai’s believe that weariness of the body can adversely affect the ‘khwan’ of a person. To restore the ‘khwan,’ or the vital spirit, Bai Sri offerings are made. In this ceremony, white strings are sometimes tied around the wrists to basically call back and welcome the ‘khwan.’

Simple and elegant arrangement for a wedding.

Simple and elegant arrangement for a wedding.

An important element of Bai Sri is the presence of fresh banana leaves. It is decorated with different lucky flowers e.t. Dok Ruk (Flower of Love), Doc ThisBan Mai Ru Raoy (Flower of Infinity). Doc Dao Rung (Flower of the Sun, Doc Kan Jorn (Flower of Fame). Moreover, a lot of food is prepared and these are put on the layers made from banana leaves. Young coconut, cooked rice, cucumber, Foi Tong (Thai dessert), layered rice cake (Kanom Chan), Kanom Tay Fu and boiled eggs are just examples of the food used for occasions. Two boiled eggs are used during wedding ceremonies as symbols of the bride and groom. When the egg is cut into two and if the egg yolk is in the middle, it is believed that the groom wll love the bride forever.

Northeast Style

In Febuary 1992, my Thai friends invited me to join them for a trip to the Northeast of Thailand. It was a memorable trip as I saw the beautiful countryside and the distinctive style of the Northeast which they say is very similar to Lao. In our visit to one of the most sacred temple of that area, the Phra That Phanom, I was impressed with the beautiful Bai Sri offerings in front of the temple. One can see and feel the loving devotion they expressed in making those elaborate Bai Sri. The picture below which I took of the very large Bai Sri clearly shows these sentiments.

A large Northeast Thai style Bai Sri at Wat Phra That Phanom.

A large Northeast Thai style Bai Sri at Wat Phra That Phanom.

Myself in front of Phra That Phanom with assorted Bai Sri offerings.

Myself in front of Phra That Phanom with assorted Bai Sri offerings.

A welcome blessing for foreigners.

A welcome blessing for foreigners.

Each item used in the making of Bai Sri has a significance: the cone of rice means fertility, yellow Cassia flowers means longevity, Calotropis flowers means long lasting love, boiled eggs sometimes means intelligence, money means good luck and auspicious threads represent the bonds of friendship. Thai people preserve this rite as a legacy for future generations. Bai Sri arrangements are sold in the flower markets.

Wat Phra That Phanom is the sacred precinct of the Phra That Phanom chedi, located in the district of the same name, in the southern part of Nakhon Phanom Province, northeastern Thailand. According to legend, this structure contains The Buddha’s breast bone, and as such, it is one of the most important Theravada Buddhist structures in the region. Each year, a festival is held in That Phanom to honor the temple. This festival last for one week, during which thousands of people make pilgrimages to honor the shrine.