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Update 9/25/24: Thailand just became the third country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage, and the first in Southeast Asia. The law was published in the Royal Gazette on Tuesday, following approval from King Maha Vajiralongkorn, per NBC News. It will go into effect in 120 days, on January 22.
The law grants same-sex couples the same legal, financial, and medical rights afforded to married heterosexual couples, including adoption and inheritance rights, according to the BBC. It also revises Thailand’s Civil and Commercial Code to use gender-neutral words like “individual” rather than “husband/wife” and “man/woman.” However, the law continues to use the words “mother” and “father” rather than parent, though LGBTQ+ advocate Nada Chaiyajit told NBC News that this language swap will continue to be a goal when the law is eligible to be revised in five years.
Thai LGBTQ+ activists celebrated the victory, with Chaiyajit telling NBC News that it “means a lot” for Thailand to be the first country in Southeast Asia to legalize marriage equality.
“We show that diversity means diversity, and the government hears the voice of the people that we are ready to build inclusive societies where everyone will be able to form families, regardless of their gender identity, sexual orientation, et cetera,” Chaiyajit said.
Ann Chumaporn, co-founder of Bangkok Pride, additionally called the passage of the law “a triumph of equality and human dignity.”
“Today we’re not only getting to write our names in marriage certificates, but we are also writing a page in history… that tells us that love never set a condition of who we were born to be,” Chumaporn told the BBC, adding that she plans on organizing a mass wedding for over 1,000 same-sex couples on the day that the law goes into effect.
Original Story 6/18/24: Thailand’s Senate has voted to approve a marriage equality bill, which will make the country the first in Southeast Asia to legalize same-sex marriage.
Today, the bill passed its final reading, with 130 of the Thai Senate’s 152 members voting in favor, four voting against, and 18 abstaining. It must now be approved by King Maha Vajiralongkorn, a gesture considered a formality, per CNN. The bill will then go into effect within 120 days of its publication in Thailand’s government gazette. Back in April, the Thai House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved the legislation, with 400 of the 415 lawmakers who participated in the vote lending their support. This long-awaited change follows the arrival of a more liberal government in 2023 and decades of organizing by Thai LGBTQ+ activists.
“The bill represents a monumental step forward for LGBTQ+ rights in Thailand,” Panyaphon Phiphatkhunarnon, the founder of the LGBTQ+ equality NGO Love Foundation, told CNN. “[…] It would inspire the younger generations to come out and live their lives authentically, it would showcase Thailand as a progressive and inclusive country — attracting tourists and businesses … and will foster a culture change where LGBTQ+ individuals feel accepted and supported.
Thailand is set to become the third Asian country to legalize same-sex marriage, following Nepal in 2023 and Taiwan in 2019. NBC News reports that the country’s marriage equality legislation will update Thailand’s Civil and Commercial Code, replacing gendered terms like “men,” “women,” “husbands” and “wives” with gender-neutral alternatives like “person” and “spouse.” In addition to being able to legally marry, same-sex couples will also have equal access to healthcare consent, inheritance, and child adoption. Trans people will also receive these legal benefits, although, at this time, they will still be officially recognized based on their sex assigned at birth.
Over the years, Thailand has grown into a popular LGBTQ+ travel destination, with the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association citing it as “one of the most LGBTQ+-friendly countries on the [Asian] continent.” The legalization of same-sex marriage is set to improve the lives of LGBTQ+ Thai citizens in tangible ways.
Thailand Could Soon Legalize Same-Sex Marriage. It Would Change Lives.
Three couples speak to how marriage equality would transform their lives beyond marriage — and potentially shift Thai culture.
Speaking to Them in February, Shane Bhatla, the associate director of trans and intersectional justice issues at Equal Asia Foundation, said that marriage equality would put Thailand in a better position to win its bid to host World Pride in 2028 and potentially spark an economic boom thanks to more couples viewing Thailand as an LGBTQ+ friendly travel destination.
Meanwhile, 25-year-old Chayin Tengkanokkul told Them that he believes that marriage equality would help normalize the LGBTQ+ community both in Thailand and in neighboring countries such as Malaysia, where male homosexuality is illegal.
“Those countries have it way worse than us, so if we are able to set an example for them that this is normal, that can have a ripple effect,” Tengkanokkul said.
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