Okay. Now will you marry me?

PHUKET: People can once again get married in Muang and Thalang Districts after fresh supplies of marriage certificates were received from Bangkok yesterday.

Both districts ran out of certificates and Kathu District was down to very limited supplies after government printers in Bangkok received orders late and were unable to fill them in the time required. They cited the difficulty of printing each certificate with a unique number. This resulted in a nationwide shortage of certificates.

In addition there is good news for Thais who want to apply for the new “smart” ID cards. An official from the Phuket Provincial Registration Management Center, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that fresh supplies of the cards will be distributed to all three District Offices – Muang, Thalang and Kathu – tomorrow.

“We were informed yesterday by the Southern Registration Management Office, Region 8, in Surat Thani, that they have just received the smart cards from Bangkok. One of our officers is on the way to pick them up now, and we will distribute them to the three Districts in Phuket tomorrow,” she said.

She said she did not know how many of the new cards Phuket would receive, but that supplies are still limited. “People holding [old-style] ID cards that are still valid should wait. We will be giving priority to people who need new ID cards, such as those who have lost cards,” she explained.