Thai twins, aged 4, wed in ceremonial ritual to 'break karmic cycle', ward off misfortune

The marriage, however, holds no legal status and is purely ceremonial. (Image: X)

In an unusual and widely debated ritual, a Thai family conducted a ceremonial wedding for their four-year-old twin children, believing the act would protect them from misfortune. The event, which took place on June 28 at the Prachaya Resort in Kalasin, northeastern Thailand, saw young twins—Thatsanaporn Sornchai and Thatsathorn Sornchai—perform traditional Buddhist marriage rites in the presence of monks and relatives.

The elaborate ceremony featured ornate decorations, guest seating arrangements, and the presence of Buddhist monks, who presided over and blessed the ritual. In a viral video circulating on social media, the girl is seen kissing her brother on the cheek before the two participate in customary wedding rituals. At one point, the twins were marked on their foreheads as part of the ceremony.

The ceremony concluded with blessings from monks, as well as a dowry offering of four million baht (approximately Rs 1 crore or US$110,000) and gold, in keeping with local traditions. The children’s mother, Jongkon Sonchai, said that the twins were born on June 14, and the ritual was carried out in accordance with cultural beliefs about their karmic bond.

According to reports in Must Share News, a Singapore-based outlet, and Hua Hin Today, the symbolic marriage is based on the belief that opposite-sex twins were lovers in a past life who have been reborn together. Thai families who subscribe to this belief perform a wedding ceremony between their twin children to resolve the karmic cycle, thereby preventing illness, bad luck, or untimely death in the current life.

"This is not an uncommon practice in Thailand,” one report noted. “It is believed that twins of the opposite sex are born with shared karma. To balance this, they must be ‘married’ before the age of 10.”

The marriage, however, holds no legal status and is purely ceremonial. The ritual is understood to serve as a spiritual safeguarding practice that has been passed down through generations. One user on social media called the event “a striking example of cultural beliefs shaping traditions,” while others reacted with curiosity and bemusement.

“May the twins grow up with all the blessings this symbolic ceremony hopes to bring,” another commenter wrote under the viral video, which has amassed significant attention across platforms.

While some praised the family’s deep-rooted commitment to preserving cultural heritage, others expressed surprise at the symbolic marriage between siblings, pointing to the stark differences in belief systems across cultures.