Thailand Takes Major Leap Towards Equal Rights with Royal Endorsement of Marriage Equality Bill
PUBLISHED: 24 Sep 2024 at 22:35
The Marriage Equality Bill has received the royal endorsement and is officially published in the Royal Gazette, positioning Thailand as only the third nation in Asia, alongside Taiwan and Nepal, to recognize same-sex marriage.
The legislation will come into effect 120 days following its publication, enabling same-sex couples to legally register their marriages starting January 22, 2025.
“This law represents a monumental advancement for equal rights in Thailand,” remarked a prominent advocate in the LGBTQ community.
Plans are underway for a mass wedding event in Bangkok on January 22, expected to host over a thousand LGBTQ couples.
The Senate’s passage of the bill in June marked the conclusion of more than two decades of dedicated activism, receiving strong support from lawmakers in the upper house.
Advocates heralded this historic move, emphasizing that Thailand will be the first nation in Southeast Asia to implement marriage equality legislation.
The new law incorporates gender-neutral language, replacing traditional terms like “men,” “women,” “husbands,” and “wives,” and it also provides adoption and inheritance rights for same-sex couples.
“The Marriage Equality Bill will significantly enhance gender inclusivity by amending approximately 60-70 sections in the Civil and Commercial Codes,” noted a legal expert at a recent forum.
Additionally, around 50 other laws, including the Surrogacy Bill and the Gender Recognition Bill, need to be revised to guarantee comprehensive legal protections for LGBTQ+ communities in Thailand.
