For what its worth krisb...................

You are planning a party for your daughter's 1st birthday, great, the way it should be. At one year old, a party is a party, so she won't be too upset with whatever arrangements, theme, entertainment you settle at. Your 30+ guests however are a different matter.............

Couple of hints, this is assuming your guest list is both Thai & Farang:

1/ Food. Make sure you have Thai food available (leave that to the other half & friends) and for the Farangs, just put on a kangaroo BBQ, hop up and serve yourselves. Keep it as simple as possible. (The guests are coming to a party, not for a meal......... )

2/ Drink. Again, depending on expected guests, get hold of a few crates of the most popular beer, couple of large ice boxes and bury the beer in the ice well before the guests arrive. If possible, have a 'ready-use' one that can be topped up when required. Couple of bottles of white spirits, a few bottles of cheaper brand whiskey and a bottle of decent whiskey and you should be good to go.

3/ Decoration/Theme. As mentioned earlier, your daughter isn't going to get upset over what you choose. But to keep in the spirit of things, a nice blown-up photograph of her with Happy Birthday & Best Wishes surrounding it will appeal to the ladies. Have the birthday cake ready to go at anytime (keep in the fridge/freezer until needed). Have the 'Happy Birthday' CD/MP3 ready for the blowing out of the candles thing......

4/ Music. As much party music as you can get, Thai & Western! If you have time, make up a CD/MP3 playlist beforehand (50 or so tracks) so you don't have to be DJ all night.

5/ Repeat all steps, disregarding No. 4, and you are good-to-go for round 2 on Christmas Day..................

Wishing you, your wife & daughter all the best on your daughter's special day.......................

As somebody says before here... Thai people have no idea what christmas means, or how it is being celibrated differently between different cultures amongst us falangs.

They do not celibrate birtdays up here in Isaan either, so in my personal opinion, dont overdo this for God sake!!!

Take your family out and buy them dinner, buy your gifts to your kid, but DO NOT OVERDO it towards the thai´s in your family, they are just happy to come out and have a nice meal

together with you and your real family....

The more you are making a fool out of yourself, the more it will impact coming falangs, and demands from thais will be based upon your own actions, so for Gods sake take it easy, no

SHOW OFF plse... keep that for your own falangcountry.....

Glegolo

Edited November 14, 201312 yr by glegolo

Of course you would already know that it's a big part of Thai culture for kids to have a smash-cake at their 1st birthday. So I suggest that you start choosing a suitable cake.

http://www.wilton.com/celebrations/1st-birthday/firstbirthdaysmashcake.cfm

If the child is 1 ... is the party for the baby or the parents?

Theme for a child's 1 year old party ???

Be honest, if it's for the parents fine, good face and all that, but please, it's not about the child ... and I'm sure it's a beautiful child.

Honestly, its for both. We all deserve to celebrate her birthday.

And yes, she is a lovely little thing!

Edited November 14, 201312 yr by krisb

Of course you would already know that it's a big part of Thai culture for kids to have a smash-cake at their 1st birthday. So I suggest that you start choosing a suitable cake.

http://www.wilton.com/celebrations/1st-birthday/firstbirthdaysmashcake.cfm

you have to be joking - 'big part of Thai culture for kids to have a smash-cake'

Tradition Thai culture usually means on your birthday you honour your parents.

This birthday buzz is just a recent thing, like in the last generation.

Is a smash cake 1 she sits down on the ground with a sheet under her and the cake and she basically just smashes the cake up? Sounds like fun.

Westerners count 1 year old when the child has been alive for 12 months.

I have noticed some Thais call this event the childs 2nd birthday.

Meaning, 2 kids in different cultures born on the same day, down the track, the farlang may say he is 20yo and the Thai 21yo, when they were actually born on the same day.

Anyone one else seen this ?

Edit: cant count

Edited November 14, 201312 yr by Chao Lao Beach

Yes I have heard this also re the age thing. I think it is a more traditional way of counting birthdays, but could be wrong.

Maybe JM means this...

The day she was born - 1st Birthday

One year later - 2nd Birthday.

(This is incorrect of course)

Who counts that way? Certainly not the Thais.

Oh! An SoH.