By Sharifah Mahsinah Abdullah
Pix by Sharifah Mahsinah Abdullah
NARATHIWAT (Thailand): Many Malaysian couples took the opportunity to travel to the province here in South Thailand to tie the knot during the school holidays last week.
The couples, mostly youngsters, decided to solemnise their marriages at the Narathiwat Religious Council office, which is located about 60km from Rantau Panjang in Kelantan, via the Sungai Golok checkpoint.
Narathiwat Religious Council vice-president Abdul Aziz Che Mamat said today that his office had seen a sharp increase in the number of couples who tied the knot last week.
"Our religious officers have had their hands full since last week. They normally handled five couples a day, but since the Malaysian school holidays began, there were about eight to 10 Malaysian couples coming to get married here in a day," he said.
Aziz said the Malaysian couples came from Kelantan, Terengganu and even as far as Selangor.
"Many have chosen to travel here via Sungai Golok checkpoint as it only takes them about one hour from the border.
"The akad nikah (solemnisation) process will normally take less than 30 minutes and the couples can get their certificates on the same day or following day," he added.
Aziz said many Malaysian couples chose to get married at the council's office due to convenience and its well-equipped facilities.
"At our office here, we have many kadi, so the process can be carried out smoothly and fast.
"At the Sungai Golok mosque, we only have one religious officer and the process sometimes takes hours," he added.
Narathiwat is a favourite destination for Malaysians to get married in south Thailand. The other provinces are Yala and Pattani.
The Malaysian Consulate in Songkhla revealed in February that almost 300 Malaysian couples get married in the country's southern province every month.
Consul-general Ahmad Fahmi Ahmad Sarkawi was quoted saying that 60 per cent of the marriages involved polygamy, whereas the rest had no family permission, including marrying a Thai partner.