According to a report in The Phuket Gazette, both offices have run out of marriage certificates and eager couples are being told their nuptials will simply have to wait. If they can't, however, the only other district office in the province, Kathu, does have a few certificates left.

An official from Muang Phuket Registration Department, who asked not to be named, said her department ran out of certificates two weeks ago.

"We have many couples coming here [wanting to marry], but we have to tell them they must wait or register somewhere else because we have to wait for new certificates to come from the Department of Local Administration in Bangkok," she said. "Alternatively, they might ask the Kathu district office to register their nuptials."

The shortage of certificates is not confined to Phuket, but is a national problem - the entire country is gradually running out, she said.

An officer at Thalang district office, who also requested anonymity, said his office ran out of certificates last week. It is also telling people who want to get married that they should go to the Kathu district office.

"We are waiting for fresh supplies, but we can't say how long that will take," he said.

Kathu District Registration Department chief Suksan Siang-Ake said he still had some forms left.

"People can come here to get their marriage registered until we, too, run out of certificates. We have only a limited number

left."

Asked why he could not simply give some of his certificates to the other districts, he said this was impossible because each certificate has a unique code number, part of which indicates the district in which the marriage is registered.

Because of the public holiday, nobody from the Department of Local Administration in Bangkok could comment yesterday.

Meanwhile, Phuket has shortages of other official documents. The Muang Phuket official said the office had also run out of new "smart" ID cards, and anyone wanting to upgrade from the traditional "dumb" cards will also have to wait until fresh supplies arrive from Bangkok.

The Nation

PHUKET