LGBTQ+ couples wait to receive official marriage certificates, as the country’s marriage equality bill comes into effect following a royal endorsement which effectively makes Thailand Asia’s third territory to legalise same-sex unions, in Bangkok, Thailand, January 23, 2025.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Hundreds of LGBTQ+ couples in Thailand are expected to make their wedded status legal on Thursday (January 23, 2025), the first day a law took effect granting them the same rights as heterosexual couples.

The enactment of the Marriage Equality Act makes Thailand the first country in Southeast Asia and the third place in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage, after Taiwan and Nepal.

Marriage registration is customarily done at district offices, but on Thursday, around 300 couples are expected to complete the formalities at a daylong gala celebration in an exhibition hall at a shopping mall in central Bangkok. Hundreds more are predicted to register in less fancy circumstances around the country.

Marriage equality bill of Thailand

The marriage equality bill, which sailed through both houses of Parliament, amended the Civil and Commercial Code to change the words “men and women” and “husband and wife” to “individuals” and “marriage partners.” It is supposed to open up access to full legal, financial and medical rights for LGBTQ+ couples.

Partners will have equal rights and responsibilities in dealing with joint assets, tax obligations and deductions, inheritance rights and survivor benefits.

Thailand has a reputation for acceptance and inclusivity, and thousands of people from around the world attend the annual Bangkok Pride parade. But rights advocates have struggled for decades to pass a marriage equality law in a largely conservative society where members of the LGBTQ+ community say they face discrimination in everyday life, although they note that things have improved greatly in recent years.

Couples interviewed earlier this month by The Associated Press expressed happiness with the new law, even those already settled in contented long-term relationships.

“The enforcement of the marriage equality law is proof that regardless of our gender, we all share the same basic human rights in every aspect under Thai law,” said Kullayahnut Akkharasretthabudh, 38, a real estate owner whose partner is Juthatip Suttiwong, 24, a chef. “It also paves the way for other countries in Asia, highlighting the importance of recognizing each other’s human values and enabling everyone to live.”

Patherine Khunnares, 37, a web designer, said she and researcher Vivian Chullamon, 36, “have a supportive social circle, friends, and family who accept us for who we are and accept the person we love. Marriage, it seems, isn’t everything that fulfills us emotionally..

“However, ultimately, we believe that as two human beings, we should be granted the same basic legal rights as heterosexual couples. We are a complete family in spirit, but legal recognition would alleviate our future anxieties. In the end, we aren’t asking for anything special — we just want a simple, happy family life.”

Bangkok’s city government has said that it organized workshops for staff of all its district offices who are in charge of handling marriage registration. They included lectures raising awareness about gender diversity and guidance on how to properly communicate with those who come for the service. The Interior Ministry has offered similar guidance.

“It’s like a missing piece of the jigsaw,” Bangkok Deputy Gov. Sanon Wangsrangboon said at one of the workshops earlier this month. “Society is ready. The law is getting ready. But the last piece of the jigsaw is the understanding from officials.”

The King’s formal approval marks the culmination of years of campaigning and thwarted attempts to pass equal marriage laws. File.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

The Thai king has signed same-sex marriage into law, the official Royal Gazette announced on Tuesday (September 24, 2024), making Thailand the first country in Southeast Asia and the biggest place in Asia to recognise marriage equality.

King Maha Vajiralongkorn gave royal assent to the new law, passed by parliament in June, which will take effect in 120 days — meaning the first weddings are expected to take place in January.

Thailand becomes only the third place in Asia where same-sex couples can tie the knot, after Taiwan and Nepal.

The law on marriage now uses gender-neutral terms in place of “men”, “women”, “husbands” and “wives”, and also grants adoption and inheritance rights to same-sex couples.

The King’s formal approval marks the culmination of years of campaigning and thwarted attempts to pass equal marriage laws.

Thailand has long had an international reputation for tolerance of the LGBTQ community, and opinion polls reported in local media have shown overwhelming public support for equal marriage.

However, much of the Buddhist-majority kingdom still retains traditional and conservative values and LGBTQ people say they still face barriers and discrimination in everyday life.

More than 30 countries around the world have legalised marriage for all since the Netherlands became the first to celebrate same-sex unions in 2001.

India’s highest court deferred a decision on the matter to parliament last year and Hong Kong’s top court stopped just short of granting full marriage rights.

– Long struggle –

Thai activists have been pushing for same-sex marriage rights for more than a decade but, in a country where politics is regularly upended by coups and mass street protests, their advocacy did not get far.

LGBTQ activists staged a drag show in Bangkok on Friday to celebrate progress and show their enthusiasm for the law to come into effect.

Apiwat Apiwatsayree, a well-known figure in Thailand’s LGBTQ community, and his partner Sappanyoo Panatkool, who have been together for 17 years, are among those who have been waiting for the law to pass so they can finally marry.

“We’ve been waiting for a long time,” Apiwat, 49, told AFP on Friday.

“As soon as it becomes law, we will go register our marriage.”

The legislation was pushed through parliament by former prime minister Srettha Thavisin, who was vocal in his support for the LGBTQ community.

He made marriage equality a signature issue and told reporters last year that he believed the change would strengthen family structures.

Srettha was kicked out of office by a court order in an ethics case in August, to be replaced by Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the daughter of controversial ex-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.