11-year-old bride of Malaysian man returned to Thailand
BANGKOK — An 11-year-old bride to a Malaysian man 30 years her senior has returned to her native Thailand, where she is under the care of the local social welfare department.
Ayu, who is being identified only by her nickname for her protection, was married in June as the third wife of Che Abdul Karim Che Abdul Hamid, a Muslim rubber trader from the northern Malaysian state of Kelantan. The case has provoked soul-searching in Malaysia, where the prevalence of child marriage belies the Southeast Asian nation’s modern outlook.