KUALA LUMPUR: A viral social media post promoting cross-border marriage services in Thailand via "buy now, pay later" (BNPL) schemes has ignited a firestorm of criticism and raised questions over the ethics of financing matrimony through debt.
The controversial advertisement, which surfaced on the Threads platform, features an agent offering various wedding packages in Thailand with the option for installments.
The base package for a marriage ceremony is priced at RM1,899.
More comprehensive options include a package for RM3,699, which includes consulate verification, and a premium "all-in" package for RM9,499 that covers Malaysian marriage certificate registration in Perlis.
"Let's get married in Thailand using 'pay later'. Yes, you can pay using pay later or any BNPL (buy now, pay later) service," an agent wrote in a post three days ago, sparking immediate backlash from netizens.
Many social media users condemned the promotion, pointing out that the advertisement appeared to encourage secret polygamy and the evasion of local legal requirements by making the process financially accessible through credit.
Many commenters argued that financial stability is a prerequisite for marriage.
One user, @is.reen.nizam, questioned the necessity of using credit for such a purpose, commenting: "You want to use SPay or BNPL even to get married? If you can't afford it, don't marry more than one."
Another user, @faisalfitriraffi, slammed the service for helping men bypass local laws and the rights of their current spouses.
"Do services like this actually exist? Don't normalise hiding marriages; where is the right and justice for the first wife who has been through thick and thin with you? A real man would be honest with his wife and follow Malaysian law," he wrote.
The trend has also prompted a debate on the religious validity of entering a marriage through debt, particularly regarding the mahar (dowry).
User @aliahisamuddin further asked whether the post was a mere joke.
But the poster replied, "Sorry, real." - NST
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