Venue
Sikao and Kantang Districts, Trang, Thailand
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Trang Underwater Wedding, Trang guide
Vows exchanged beneath the Andaman Sea.
In short
The Trang Underwater Wedding usually takes three days around Valentine's Day, but Trang Province had not published 2027 dates by October 2026. Couples in scuba gear marry off the islands of Hat Chao Mai National Park, while ashore there are parades, portraits and beach blessings. It suits couples and curious onlookers; check dates first.
Each February a handful of couples marry beneath the Andaman Sea off Trang, in the far south of Thailand. Wearing scuba gear, they exchange vows off the islands of Hat Chao Mai National Park, while families and onlookers follow the parade, portraits and beach blessings ashore.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand dates the first underwater wedding here to 1996, and the event later entered Guinness World Records as the largest ceremony of its kind. Trang Province has built on that fame and now promotes itself as a place to get married.
The appeal for visitors is the mix. A provincial town with a strong Chinese food tradition sits within easy reach of the islands and beaches of a marine national park, and the weddings give a reason to see both.
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Key Facts & Stats:
Ends: Monday, 15 February 2027
Where: Trang, Thailand
Venue: Hat Chao Mai National Park
Held: Every year
Type of event: Cultural Events, Community Events, Parade
Currency: Thai baht (฿ THB)
Time zone: UTC+7, no daylight saving
Language: Thai
Map
Getting around
Hotels near the venue fill up around the event dates.
Diving certification and registration for couples
Only couples where both partners are certified divers can take their vows underwater, so have proof of certification ready when you apply. The registration window is short and opens only once the province announces the programme.
The certificate signed on the seabed is ceremonial. If you want a marriage that is legally recognised, you will also need to complete the formalities at a district office.
What spectators need for the beach events
Spectators can join the parade route and the beach events without signing up. A few habits make the day easier:
- Pack a hat, sunscreen and plenty of water. The beach ceremonies happen in full sun.
- Ask before taking close-up photos of couples during the blessing rituals, which are religious moments for many families.
- On the boats, follow the crew's instructions and keep bags in a dry bag.
- Leave coral and shells where they are. The islands lie inside a protected national park.
What happens on the day
- Day one, morning
Pre-wedding portraits
Going by 2026, couples pose among the trees at Thung Khai and at the hot springs forest park in Kantang.
- Day one, afternoon
Couples' parade
The couples, many in Thai dress, parade through Trang town from the Chamber of Commerce to the Clock Tower. In 2025 the parade began at Dugong Circle and moved in six themed sections.
- Day two
Out to the islands
The day everyone waits for, when the boats leave the piers in the morning and the couples go under. In 2026 the legal registration took place on Siwalai Beach and the vows near the Emerald Cave and Ko Waen.
- Day three
Workshops and a beach dinner
The programme slows down with craft and culture workshops at Kram Koon, and recent editions have closed with a dinner on the beach.
Watching as a spectator or registering as a couple
The trip looks very different depending on which side of the vows you are on. Spectators need no registration at all. They can base themselves in Trang town, watch the couples' parade, then follow the action out to the coast and the islands. Couples have far less room to improvise. Each partner must hold a diving certificate, and the province only opens the call for participants in January. In 2026 the programme was published on 22 January and applications closed on the 31st, so anyone hoping to take part should be watching the provincial and TAT announcements from New Year onwards.
For a base, Trang town is practical. Budget guesthouses sit within a few minutes' walk of the railway station, the parade passes through the centre, and vans leave for the coast from Tha Klaang Road. A night or two by the sea near Pak Meng puts you closer to the boats but further from the evening food in town. Our Trang travel guide sets out the options in more detail.
Hold off on boat transfers until the schedule appears. The dive site has changed from one edition to the next.
The wedding parade, blessings and Trang food
The ceremony mixes the sea with Thai custom. Many couples wear Thai dress for the parade, and decorated boats take them out to the islands, where blessing rituals are held on the beach before anyone puts on a mask. Underwater, an official goes down with the divers and records each marriage on the seabed. In 2025 couples also visited Khao Baena Cave, inside the national park, to see its ancient wall paintings before the dive.
Trang now wraps the ceremony in a wider Valentine's week in Trang. In 2026 the city ran a food and music fair in Sa Kaphang Surin Public Park every afternoon and evening, alongside balloon displays and love songs, so non-divers have plenty to fill the days on land.
That Chinese influence shows on the plate. Trang eats dim sum for breakfast, and the early morning shops fill quickly on weekends. The local roast pork, muu yang Trang style, is the dish the town is proudest of. For something to take home, Trang's sponge cakes are sold plain, without any frosting.
Getting there
Flying in
Trang Airport (TST) handles domestic flights only, mostly from Bangkok Don Mueang, and sits about 7 km from town. Taxis charge each passenger roughly 90 baht; the 12-baht town bus runs to the railway and bus station. International travellers usually connect through Bangkok; check entry rules on our Thailand visa page.
Other airports
Hat Yai International (HDY) is a little over two hours away by minibus. Krabi (KBV) and Phuket (HKT) have more international links and road or van connections south to Trang.
By train and bus
The overnight train from Krung Thep Aphiwat covers 870 km in roughly 15 hours; the express leaves at 18:50 and arrives at 08:15. Buses from Bangkok's Southern Bus Terminal take about 12 hours.
To the coast
Passenger vans leave from Tha Klaang Road roughly every hour, about 80 baht each way; evening vans back to town are unreliable, so fix your return first. Most island boats go from Pak Meng Pier, with smaller piers at Ban Chao Mai and Kuan Thung Kuu.
Where to stay during the festival
The next edition runs from 13 February to 15 February 2027. Book your room as soon as your dates are fixed, since rooms close to the festival are the first to go.
Weather and what to pack
February is the heart of the dry season on Thailand's Andaman coast. Days are hot and sunny, rain is rare, and the north-east monsoon keeps the sea on this side of the peninsula generally calm, which makes the boat rides to the islands easy and the water clear for diving.
Afternoons on the open beaches are fierce, so plan the outdoor parts of the day for morning and late afternoon.
Worth packing
- High-factor, reef-safe sunscreen
- A hat and sunglasses for the boat trips
- A dry bag for phones and cameras on the boats
- Your diving certificate and logbook if you plan to dive
- Light clothes for the parade and a smarter outfit for the beach dinner
- Cash for vans, boat fees and the food fair
Car hire in Trang
Airport transfer to Trang Underwater Wedding, Trang
Met at arrivals at Trang Airport (TST) and driven door to door to Hat Chao Mai National Park.
- Trang Airport (TST) → Hat Chao Mai National Park
Restaurants and food in Thailand
Places to eat in Thailand before or after the celebrations.
Yamazato
24th floor, Park Ventures Ecoplex, 57 Wireless Road, Bangkok 10330
Cuisine:KaisekiEdomae sushi
- Dine-in
- Takeaway
- Delivery
Vertigo
61st Floor, Banyan Tree Bangkok, 21/100 South Sathorn Road, Thung Maha Mek, Sathon, Bangkok 10120, Thailand
Cuisine:GrillInternational
- Dine-in
- Outdoor seating
- Bar
Khao Soi Mae Sai
29/1 Ratchaphruek Road, Chang Phueak, Mueang Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai 50300, Thailand
Cuisine:Northern ThaiNoodles
- Dine-in
- Takeaway
Raya Restaurant
48/1 Dibuk Road, Talat Yai, Mueang Phuket District, Phuket 83000, Thailand
Cuisine:Southern ThaiPhuket
- Dine-in
- Takeaway
Sorn
56 Soi Sukhumvit 26, Khlong Tan, Khlong Toei, Bangkok 10110, Thailand
Cuisine:Southern ThaiFine dining
- Dine-in
Jay Fai
327 Maha Chai Road, Samran Rat, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok 10200, Thailand
Cuisine:ThaiStreet food
- Dine-in
- Takeaway
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Booking
Not many, which keeps the ceremony personal. In 2025 there were nine couples, eight of them Thai and one Taiwanese-Thai.
The park recorded 83,023 visitors in 2019, spread over a whole year and across all its beaches and islands. It is run by the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.
General
Yes. Recent editions have invited couples of all nationalities, and the 2025 group included a Taiwanese-Thai pair. Both partners still need diving certificates.
Yes. Thailand's marriage equality law took effect on 23 January 2025, and that February's festival was the first held under it, open to couples of every gender.
The couples sailed via Ko Kradan to Hin Kon Diao, a pinnacle also called Single Rock, close to the Emerald Cave inside Hat Chao Mai National Park.
Yes, and it often follows right after the weddings. In 2026 the Nakhon Trang Chinese New Year and Food Festival ran from 15 to 17 February at Nakhon Trang Square, with lion and dragon dances, live music and a ceremony for Cai Shen Ye, the God of Wealth.
It covers about 231 km² of coast, sea and islands in Sikao and Kantang districts. It was established in 1981 and protects coral reefs as well as its beaches and islands.
Yes. Since 14 August 2002 it has been part of a Ramsar site together with the Ko Libong non-hunting area and the Trang River estuaries. BirdLife International also lists it for its population of large green pigeons.
Ko Muk and Ko Kradan are the best known, both reached by boat from the mainland piers. Photos of their beaches are the ones most people picture when they think of this stretch of coast.
Timing & weather
Every September. Trang-style roast pork is the town's signature dish, so it is worth a second trip if you enjoyed it at breakfast in February.