Very Unfortunate English and Cambodian Couple, No one Come to Their Wedding

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Re: Very Unfortunate English and Cambodian Couple, No one Come to Their Wedding

Post by Rutiger »

asp wrote:"It's so much show and little substance." An excellent description of the lavish frivolity The Khmer excel at. If it looks good it is good.
Not just a Khmer trait, to be sure. I've read stories about $20 millon gaudy wedding parties thrown by super rich families in India. Lord knows how some people over-do it up in the West. All for show.

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¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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Re: Very Unfortunate English and Cambodian Couple, No one Come to Their Wedding

Post by asp »

Of course The Kingdom of Wonder isn't the only place, but I live here and I'll be damned if I want my kids to think that this is either necessary or normal.
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Re: Very Unfortunate English and Cambodian Couple, No one Come to Their Wedding

Post by PSD-Kiwi »

Rutiger wrote:
asp wrote:"It's so much show and little substance." An excellent description of the lavish frivolity The Khmer excel at. If it looks good it is good.
Not just a Khmer trait, to be sure. I've read stories about $20 millon gaudy wedding parties thrown by super rich families in India. Lord knows how some people over-do it up in the West. All for show.
This...definitely not just Cambodia, people spend thousands on weddings worldwide. I had some friends get married back in NZ, aftetnoon ceremony and night time reception, cost over 50k all up! Oh...and 2 years later they had separated!
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Re: Very Unfortunate English and Cambodian Couple, No one Come to Their Wedding

Post by asp »

It isn't that the extravagance is unique to Cambodia. The tragedy is that in rural areas those who can't afford it risk losing land, livestock and possessions because they feel it is incumbent upon them to honor cultural values.
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Re: Very Unfortunate English and Cambodian Couple, No one Come to Their Wedding

Post by prahkeitouj »

So is it fake or real wedding? Guests' present is the evidence of their pleasure to wish the new couple. I remember one of a friend's sister wedding was such a sad wedding that we needed eat vegetarian food and no one dance in the wedding even their relatives.
កុំស្លាប់ដូចពស់ កុំរស់ដូចកង្កែប
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Re: Very Unfortunate English and Cambodian Couple, No one Come to Their Wedding

Post by Rutiger »

prahkeitouj wrote:So is it fake or real wedding? Guests' present is the evidence of their pleasure to wish the new couple. I remember one of a friend's sister wedding was such a sad wedding that we needed eat vegetarian food and no one dance in the wedding even their relatives.
Why? Did the families disapprove of the marriage?
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Re: Very Unfortunate English and Cambodian Couple, No one Come to Their Wedding

Post by PSD-Kiwi »

Of course it was a real wedding ceremony...however, they will not be officially recognized as a legally married couple because they did not follow the correct procedure required for a foreigner to marry a Cambodian citizen.
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Re: Very Unfortunate English and Cambodian Couple, No one Come to Their Wedding

Post by PSD-Kiwi »

ot mien kampf wrote:What exactly did he do that was "illegal" to be refused approval?

Looks under 50 or whatever the law is. Do they have some inane yearly salary criteria imposed on the foreign groom, too, so that if he's between jobs then they won't approve the wedding?

I don’t believe they did anything illegal, they just either didn't go through the application process, or were denied authorisation to marry from the MoI for failing to meet the criteria. Many people don't bother with the official marriage process and just have a party.


Here are the official requirements;

You will need to present the following to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs;

1. "Application for foreigner to marry Khmer citizen" (provided by MoFA)
2. Certificate of non-impediment/single status/divorce certificate (if applicable)/ex-spouses death certificate (if applicable)
3. Criminal record check from your country of citizenship
4. Passport with valid E type (Ordinary MEEV) visa, minimum 6 months validity
5. Letter of employment/proof of salary minimum $2500USD p/m (Male only?) Work permit/work book if employed in Cambodia.
6. Letter from your Embassy - permission/consent to marry
7. Pre-nuptial Medical certificate from Calmette Hospital (no older than 3 months)
8. 2x passport photos

NOTE: Foreign males must be under 50 years old to legally marry a Cambodian citizen in Cambodia

All above documents must be notarised/certified from your nearest Embassy except 1,6 and 7.

Khmer partner will need to present;

1. "Certificate of celibacy, widowhood, divorce" (single status) from Sangkat
2. National ID card
3. Birth Certificate
4. Family Book or Residence de carnet.
5. Pre-nuptial Medical certificate from Calmette Hospital (no older than 3 months)
6. 2x passport photos

Once approved by the MoFA, then applicants are interviewed by various departments of the MoI who, if satisfied, issue an Authorisation to marry letter which needs to be submitted to the Sangkat in order to be issued the legal marriage certificate.
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Re: Very Unfortunate English and Cambodian Couple, No one Come to Their Wedding

Post by phuketrichard »

asp wrote:It isn't that the extravagance is unique to Cambodia. The tragedy is that in rural areas those who can't afford it risk losing land, livestock and possessions because they feel it is incumbent upon them to honor cultural values.

This is spot on, its the poor that are fucked by "got to have a big wedding"

Yea, they get the money collected but seldom does it cover costs and they start out their married lives together in debt.
In a nation run by swine, all pigs are upward-mobile and the rest of us are fucked until we can put our acts together: not necessarily to win, but mainly to keep from losing completely. HST
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Re: Very Unfortunate English and Cambodian Couple, No one Come to Their Wedding

Post by asp »

In our small village of around 2000, I personally know 3 families who are now working in Thailand to support the grandparents who are taking care of the little ones who could not accompany their parents. They lost everything just to meet the bride price. Furthermore the little ones do not attend school. The cycle of poverty keeps rolling on thanks to outmoded cultural values. Oh and land grabbing too. But that's another thread. Broken families and broken hearts.

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