Dozens of ways to mark the day
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Perhaps more than anywhere else in the world, Thailand loves to celebrate auspicious dates, especially ones like December 12, 2012, or 12-12-12, which only happens once every hundred years.
For Thais on Wednesday, one of the most popular activities was marriage registration. Bangkok’s Bang Rak district – literally the “village of love” – is always a hotspot for marriage registration, and 12-12-12 brought out even more loving couples than usual.
However, despite preparations, such as assigning queue cards as early as 6am and extending hours to 8pm, the office’s computer system couldn’t cope with the demand, and some of the couples were left to register their nuptials on a less significant date.
The first couple to register, Nuntikorn supakritpakorn and Aurelien Raymond Eugene Person, had lined up at 5.30am.
And if the 12-12-12 date weren’t already auspicious enough, Bang Rak’s computer system had the last laugh when it conked out after registering just 55 marriages. The office had expected to register at least 100 on that special day.
Computers were also down at Chon Buri’s Sri Racha district office, but officials there persevered and filled out the forms the old fashioned way – by hand.
Couples also flocked to offices in Chiang Mai and in the Northeast.
In Isaan’s Mahasarakam Province, which usually registers maybe one or two marriages a day, the office welcomed 20 couples on Wednesday.
In addition to marriages, there were other new beginnings to mark 12-12-12.
In Ayutthaya, rookie motorists flocked to City Hall to receive their new wheels under the government’s “first car” scheme.
And hospital delivery rooms were working overtime, as mothers opted for C-section surgeries, just so their babies could have a special birthday. The kids will likely have names and nicknames linked to that number as well.
Soopsip expects lottery vendors were short of tickets with the number 12 as well. Indeed, it seemed like the supply was all used up.
