Wedding Dress Heritage Story Debunked
PHNOM PENH – Cambodian and Thai Culture ministries have confirmed that a story in The Nation Thailand contains false information and that Cambodia doesn’t include Thai attire in documents for the Khmer Traditional Wedding Ceremony nomination on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
Sum Map, secretary of state and spokesman for the Cambodian Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, said Cambodia has maintained its own distinct identity and culture since ancient times.
He said the Traditional Khmer Wedding was officially nominated for inclusion on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list in April, 2024. The final evaluation from UNESCO is expected to be at the end of 2026.
The ceremony has a wide range of customs, including the organization of wedding rituals, traditional wedding music and songs, ceremonial attire, adornments, and other culturally significant elements.
The Nation Thailand story headlined “Cultural Row Erupts as Thai Dress Seeks UNESCO Status Amid Cambodian Claim” was published on July 7 July but was not true, Map said. Cambodia submitted only truthful documents representing the country.
“The claim is not from the Thailand government. I don’t know what their intention or objective is. I don’t know whether it is to incite conflict,” he said.
Map also said Cambodia makes this nomination possible through strong cooperation among government institutions, the private sector, and especially the local communities, including the bearers and practitioners of the tradition.
The Ministry of Culture has used the supporting documents to comply with guidelines in the Operational Directives of the 2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.
“The objective of the Kingdom of Cambodia in nominating the ‘Khmer Traditional Wedding, Khmer Marriage, or Kar’ is to preserve and safeguard the traditional customs of the Khmer people, which date back to ancient times and remain widely and faithfully practiced by the population today,” Map said.
According to Khaosod English news, Thailand’s Ministry of Culture confirmed that The Nation article was false. Prasop Riengngoen, permanent secretary of the Thai Ministry of Cultural Promotion, explained that the investigation revealed the allegation was not based on facts.