1 groom, 3 brides at unusual Thai wedding… who paid the dowry?

Thai traditions went out the window at an unusual wedding last week in Nonthaburi province, central Thailand. The groom was in for a surprise when his three girlfriends asked for his hand in marriage and presented him with a dowry of 100,000 baht each on his 35th birthday. Together, the women have a total of nine children with the groom, who is a doctor of Thai traditional medicine. The polygamous family have lived together for a number of years already.

Suea Supareek, a local healer, is of Brahmin descent. In the Brahmin tradition, it is the woman (or women) who ask for the man’s hand (hands?) in marriage, so that’s why the three brides secretly saved up their money to present a dowry to Suea on his 35th birthday. The women also presented their groom-to-be with gold and land title deeds.

Suea’s first wife, 30 year old Nutcharin Phankat, has been with Suea for 16 years (since…