Valentine's Day is a day of happiness and quirky activities that attest to how far people go and what they are willing to do for love.
On Feb 14, I can just be a happy onlooker. And I will watch the onslaught of heart-shaped confectioneries, people complaining about overpriced red roses, lovers tying the knot and even underwater weddings, an annual attraction in the southern province of Trang. Love can drown you, but it also allows you to breathe, even underwater — maybe that's the hidden message.
Here in bustling Bangkok, the preferred place to get married is at the Bang Rak district office, because the Thai word rak means love, making the drab district office an auspicious location for lovers.
Young and old lovers alike will queue up there and at other district offices that will be registering marriages. Some partner with the private sector for special activities and prizes such as a lucky draw for a gold ring, gift vouchers or raffles for a honeymoon abroad.
This demonstrates how Thai society has given Valentine's Day such significance and how love equals matrimony.
From another stance, Valentine's Day has been dubbed, unofficially and cynically, as wan sia tua haeng chart (a national day for losing one's virginity), especially among teenagers, who make it an occasion to kick off a sexual relationship. Presumably, their reasoning is that sex is an expression of love. The debate has been a hot topic of among parents, teachers and authority figures, who issue warnings about unprotected sex.
The situation on Valentine's Day is similar to the romantic full-moon day of Loy Krathong, which also allegedly accounts for high sexual activity among teens.
But with a teenager's hormonal surge, it might as well be any other day. Young love can't be restrained, and adults can only provide guidance. The Ministry of Social Development and Human Security has related surging hormones to an increase in teen pregnancy. From 2009 to 2011, over 13% of children born were to mothers below the age of 20. This has become a worrying trend for Thai society, one accompanied by illegal abortions and the abandoning of newborns.
During the season of love, parents are advised to educate their teenage children on how to ruk nual sangua tua (love themselves and keep their virginities), a subsiding Thai value due to the change in times and socio-cultural factors.
Another preventive measure against pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases is the distribution of condoms by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, at its health centres and hospitals.
Each year Thailand seems to have a troublesome Valentine's Day.
The sentiment is still more about romantic love, although there are many activities that promote other types, such as honouring unconditional love by telling mum and dad how much you love them, visiting orphanages and old people's homes or simply loving yourself by getting your heart a medical check-up.
The more expansive definition of love may be a good way to make this popular "tradition" more inclusive and relevant to society. After all, love should make you bigger, not smaller. It should allow you to see things from a different perspective.
The take-home message is to make each day a day to express love — not just Feb 14.
Kanokporn Chanasongkram is a senior writer for the Life section of the Bangkok Post.