Namtarn Pijaksana Reveals Wedding Prep Progress, Plans Northern Thai Traditional Ceremony

Bride-to-be Namtarn Pijaksana has confessed that wedding planning is making her anxious, with preparations progressing at only 10%. Speaking at the premiere of the film "City Curse" at Major Ratchayothin cinema, the actress revealed she's pushing hard to complete arrangements this year, though she may postpone to early next year if needed, as she and her fiancé haven't yet consulted auspicious dates or officially set a wedding date.

Nametarn disclosed that she was shocked to learn that wedding planning requires booking venues, makeup artists, and organizers a year in advance. Many services are already fully booked, particularly auspicious dates which are limited to just a few days each month, adding to her stress.

For the ceremony, she initially planned an intimate, small family gathering with Northern Thai traditions. However, it's growing larger than expected as friends are excited about attending and experiencing the Northern Thai wedding customs. Some have already asked about booking tickets in advance.

Regarding the atmosphere, while her fiancé Phi Phai is quiet and simple, Namtarn admitted she's the fun-loving type who wants the celebration to be thoroughly enjoyable. From past weddings she's attended, she's been fully involved and stayed the longest, so she's now trying to balance simplicity with fun.

"I'm excited," she said. "Today we met so many friends who came to congratulate us, and everyone asks when and what day to mark on their calendars. Right now I have to tell everyone to be patient because we're still planning."

"We're trying to make it happen this year, or early next year at the latest, because neither Tal nor Phi Phai have consulted auspicious dates or set any specific dates yet. Everyone assumes that once an engagement happens, we'd immediately send invitations with the date, but we're nowhere near that stage."

"Another thing I learned is that getting married requires booking a year in advance, which shocked me. The best auspicious dates might already be fully booked since everyone books from the previous year. If we want it this year, we might have to settle for second-choice dates, just nothing bad."

Regarding convenient dates: "If the date is only convenient for us but not the parents, they won't accept it. The elders are quite serious about auspicious dates, so I try to adjust as much as possible. We'll have to wait for the parents and Phi Phai's family to discuss soon, which might give us more clarity. Right now I can't really say much. It's not a secret—everyone knows we've been together for a long time and we're already engaged—but we haven't discussed the details yet."

Will the wedding theme definitely be Northern Thai traditions? "Yes, we initially planned a small, warm family gathering in the North, but now it's starting to grow. Friends aren't even asking about the Bangkok venue anymore; they're all asking about the Northern event and wanting to book tickets. Everyone wants to see the Northern Thai traditions because they might not have many Northern friends, so they're curious about how Northerners do weddings, what ceremonies they have, whether they pour water on the bride's hands, whether they drink from cups. I tell them that's not quite how it works, but I'm still thinking about it."

"Right now, I'd say wedding preparation is at 10%. This 10% means just Tal and Phi Phai talking between ourselves, and me discussing with friends. The parents and the other side haven't had formal discussions yet," she concluded.