Thailand's king has signed into law a landmark marriage equality law, making the Buddhist-majority country the first in Southeast Asia to officially recognize same-sex unions. The bill, passed by the Senate in June, received royal assent and was published in the Royal Gazette on Tuesday. The law will come into effect on Jan. 22, 2025.
The legislation is being hailed by activists as a historic step, marking the culmination of years of advocacy for marriage equality in Thailand.
“The marriage equality bill will be one of the most gender-inclusive bills as it will amend around 60 to 70 articles of the civil and commercial codes,” said Vitit Muntarbhorn, an international human rights expert and legal scholar.Bangkok Post)
Ann Chumaporn, co-founder of the Bangkok Pride movement, expressed her excitement: "Today, not only can we put our names on marriage certificates, but we are also writing a page of history... that tells us that love has never put conditions on who we are supposed to be at birth." (BBC News)
Chumaporn said she plans to hold a mass wedding for more than 1 LGBTQ+ couples on the day the law comes into effect.
Thailand, long considered a relative haven for the LGBTQ+ community in a region where such rights are limited, is now leading Southeast Asia in legalizing same-sex unions. The new law uses gender-neutral terms, replacing references to “husbands” and “wives” with more inclusive language. It grants same-sex couples the same legal rights as heterosexual couples, including adoption and inheritance rights.
Advertising strategist Kwankaow Koosakulnirund stressed that the new law “means that we are fully accepted and can live our lives without conditions or compromise.” He added that Thailand’s LGBTQ+ community can now move beyond the struggle for basic recognition and embrace a future of pride and equality. (BBC News)
Another activist, Siritata Ninlapruek, echoed these sentiments, saying: "We have been fighting for our rights for over 10 years, and now it is finally possible." (BBC News)
Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra also celebrated the law’s passage, posting on social media: “Congratulations on everyone’s love. #LoveWins.” Former Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, who was a vocal supporter of the bill, described the development as a “milestone” for the country. “Fairness and equality have become a reality in Thai society. Gender diversity will finally be fully embraced,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter). (BBC)
The bill's signing marks the culmination of a long struggle by transgender rights advocates in the country. And while the bill has been widely welcomed, some have pointed out that it fails to recognize transgender and non-binary people, who are still not allowed to change their gender on their official identity documents.
With the new law, Thailand will become the third Asian territory to legalize same-sex marriage, after Taiwan and Nepal. Taiwan was the first Asian country to legalize same-sex marriage in 2019, while Nepal registered its first same-sex union in November 2023, five months after its Supreme Court ruled in favor of the practice.
Elsewhere in the region, progress has been mixed. Singapore decriminalized same-sex relations in 2022 by repealing a colonial-era law, but simultaneously amended its constitution to prevent courts from challenging the definition of marriage as between one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others. Meanwhile, India’s Supreme Court declined to rule on same-sex marriage, leaving the decision to the government, which has formed an expert panel to study the legal rights of same-sex couples.
For Thailand’s LGBTQ+ community, the passage of the marriage equality law represents a significant shift toward inclusion and acceptance in a region where such rights remain limited. Chumaporn highlighted the law’s broader implications, saying: “This is a triumph of equality and human dignity.” (BBC News)
As the country prepares for the law to come into effect in January, LGBTQ+ rights advocates and allies are celebrating what many see as a long-awaited victory for human rights in Southeast Asia.
See more
Marriage equality bill becomes law (Bangkok Post)
Same-sex marriage to be legalized in Thailand from January 2025 (Temps)
Thailand's king signs same-sex marriage bill (BBC News)
"Victory of the people": Thai MPs vote for marriage equality law (France 24)
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The article Thailand becomes first Southeast Asian country to legalize same-sex unions appeared first on Buddhist News Global.
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