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panama hat

Here's the situation:

A friend of ours here is having some problems.

Her father was Chinese, her mother is Malay/Muslim. She is therefore Muslim as the father had to convert to marry the mother.

She was brought up in a very liberal manner, eating pork, having a drink or so, not wearing the tudung (head-scarf).

She has been going out with this Chinese guy for about ten years and wants to get married and have children . . . but she doesn't want to have the Muslim ceremony.

Her father died recently and now the mother is becoming more Muslim by the day and wants her to marry in the Malay/Muslim tradition.

To cut a long story short, if she marries here, even only with a civil marriage her boyfriend will have to convert and she doesn't want that.

My question:

Can the two get married in Thailand, a civil wedding, and what documentation do they need.

I know the marriage will not be recognised in Malaysia, but she doesn't care as they will eventually emigrate anyway but she wants to have a marriage cert so that the child or children will not be listed as 'fatherless' here.

We had a Buddhist ceremony in Samui years ago but had a celebrant fly up from Sydney to do the honours . . . as Mrs Hat and I were originally married in NZ. Different kettle of fish.

Any advice is much appreciated.

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