Computer snags hinder 12/12/12 couples

Computer software glitches frustrated many couples trying to register their marriages Wednesday on the auspicious date of 12/12/12.

Couples who hoped to have the special date printed on their marriage certificates faced hours of delays at district offices after computers slowed to a crawl.

The process stopped altogether at times, as the software of the ministry's the Bureau of Registration Administration hit snags.

Wichien Chidchanoknart, an information technology and data systems expert at the bureau, said yesterday the Interior Ministry was changing its computer system handling registration for documents nationwide.

The software had developed malfunctions that delayed the process.

The problems have occurred for some time and were unrelated to the large amounts of data keyed into the system as part of the marriage registration process yesterday.

Bureau officials and the computer supplier were trying to pinpoint the cause of the problem and they expected the glitches to be sorted out in a few days.

Delays in marriage registration were also experienced at the Bang Rak district office, which is a popular place to register marriages, given its name in Thai which means the district of love.

Bang Rak district chief Suachana Sudcharoen said about 100 couples applied for marriage certificates at the office yesterday.

However, the district office was able to serve only half that number after the computer malfunctioned.

Supapong Kritsanaphan, director of Bangkok's Administration and Registration Office, said the computer errors had stalled not only marriage registration services but also requests for ID cards.

Similar glitches occurred also in Ayutthaya and Phitsanulok provinces.

Piyapong Pong-am and Tarntip Charoensuk, who turned up to register their marriage at Muang district office of Phitsanulok, said they wanted to take advantage of the special date to make their marriage official.

However, they had to queue up and were starting to worry they might not be able to register before the office closed.

At the Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya district office in Ayutthaya, couple Panpiprot Rangsiyo and Sukalaya Promhom said they arrived before the office opened, but did not get their certificate until noon.

Source: http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/325849/computer-snags-hinder-12-12-12-couples