After several trips filled with anticipation, Namtaan Pijaksa Wongsaratanasilp, a talented actress, was surprised by her boyfriend Phai Patit with a marriage proposal amid a romantic atmosphere under the Northern Lights in Norway. The couple has been together for over 14 years. In March, Namtaan joined a talk to promote the film “Sap Muang” from M Studio and KLK Studio, scheduled for release on 14 May in theaters. During the event, she was asked about becoming a bride and the special moment that occurred...
“Was there a three-hour window? (smiles) What everyone saw was a short moment, just about 10 minutes, because the Northern Lights were with us only briefly. The Norway trip was planned a long time ago. I went diving and met a group of divers for the first time. They said they planned to go to Norway and mentioned that the Northern Lights are getting weaker each year. We talked that if just the two of us went, it might not work, and we don’t like tours because we want privacy. So, we thought if the divers were going anyway, we’d join their trip. Then I told Jackie (Chakerin Mintz), whose mother was also there and wanted to come along. Jackie brought her mom, so it became a big group. Honestly, the two teams—the divers and Jackie’s group—had never met before. They met once before the flight at a mala hotpot dinner to get acquainted. They weren’t close, and I and Phai were the link. Everyone thought there was a big plan, but actually there wasn’t. Behind the scenes, Phai planned with his friends, and Jackie was told that Phai would propose on this trip, so Jackie arranged the veil. Phai didn’t tell anyone when exactly he would propose; he waited for the right weather. He told everyone that when he opened the umbrella, it meant he was going to propose. We stayed in Lofoten for seven days, with rain on six of them. On the last day, he checked for the Northern Lights; since they hadn’t appeared, he didn’t propose then. He considered proposing on another trip or somewhere beautiful. For the first five days, I brought five white dresses, and by the end, I was out of white dresses.”
“I thought about it on every trip since the start of the year. This year has been busy with many trips, including to Japan with his family. I wondered if it would be in Japan. Before that, we went to Korea. It was possible anywhere. I prepared for every trip. Jackie even joked that I should be ready with makeup and hair because today might be the day. From the first day, I dressed fully every day until the last day when my white dresses were gone. So maybe not here. On that day, I wore a black inner shirt and jeans that belonged to Jackie, with a white shirt from a senior she lent me. The Northern Lights appeared very briefly. When he proposed, the lights formed a ring shape above us. Everyone screamed because we couldn’t capture the lights on camera. People complained about why their phones couldn’t capture them, but they could see them with their eyes. The Northern Lights came and went very quickly.”
“I felt deaf. Everyone screamed, especially Jackie, who hugged me crying. But what everyone saw was Jackie ordering everyone to remove things and put on the veil because at that moment there was a mess with the camera. Jackie’s mother accidentally knocked over the camera from behind at some point. It was chaotic like a market scene. I didn’t even have time to cry. He proposed, and I said yes immediately, even trying to put the ring on myself (laughs). I was shy and considerate because there were others nearby. We had to shine a light on ourselves, and I wondered if it would disturb others. There were many concerns, but it was a natural and funny moment that everyone saw without any preparation. I used to think that when a man proposes, he would look handsome, dress well, and speak nicely, but this was just a loud yes. It was very funny. Everything happened so quickly: someone was filming, someone was taking photos, it was cold, and I had to hold out my hand. It was hilarious. Phai even said we should name our child after this place. Luckily, we moved here because before that we lived in another town where I thought I might see the Northern Lights at a beautiful bridge in a town called Hamnoy. Otherwise, our child would have been named after that town (laughs).”
“We want to do it this year if possible, but I just learned that he has been planning the wedding for a year. Believe it or not, the makeup artists I often use are already booked. The artists who said they would do my wedding makeup as a gift are not available. I just found out that they book years in advance because of auspicious dates, and the same goes for the hotels. Most weddings happen at the end of the year. What I pictured in my head isn’t easy to arrange. Right now, the date is confirmed, and if we’ve been together this long, we’ll choose a suitable date. The families are discussing whether to hold the wedding in Phrae or Bangkok.”
. . . Thairath Newspaper Column . . .