PETALING JAYA: The number of couples marrying in southern Thailand has decreased by 40% since Malaysia-Thailand border controls were tightened on December 1.
The council previously recorded over 300 Malaysian couples marrying in Narathiwat last year, mainly from Kelantan and Terengganu with most applicants were men aged 30 and above seeking polygamous marriages, including civil servants.
Deputy President of the Narathiwat Islamic Religious Council, Abdul Aziz Che Mamat reported that daily marriage registrations have fallen from 4-5 couples to just 1-2 couples between December and January 1, Harian Metro reported.
“Many Malaysians have decided not to come here or have chosen to go directly to Songkhla province.
“It is not a problem for us to conduct the marriage ceremony, as long as the couple complies with the rules and brings all the required documents. We always facilitate their affairs and they have to pay the fees as prescribed,“ he was quoted as saying.
The council has appointed 30 committee members to conduct marriages for Malaysian and Thai couples.
Abdul Aziz urged the Malaysian Consulate in Songkhla to process marriage documents within a day.
“This is to ensure that Malaysian couples who get married get the documents immediately without having to wait for several days,“ he added.
The decline follows Malaysia’s enforcement of a ban on cross-border use of illegal bases since December 1.
