In a landmark decision, Thailand becomes the first country in South-East Asia to legalise same-sex unions as King Maha Vajiralongkorn formally promulgated the marriage equality bill into law. The legislation, which had been cleared by the Senate in June, was published in the Royal Gazette on Tuesday and will become effective on January 22, 2025.
It’s been a huge time for LGBTQ+ activists and advocates since the royal endorsement, a great milestone on the country’s path to equality. It adopts gender-neutral language, replacing traditional terms like “husbands” and “wives” with relevant changes in legislations in order to assure the right of same-sex couples to adopt and inherit.
Bangkok Pride founder and prominent LGBTQ+ advocate Ann Chumaporn described the legislation as a “victory of equality and human dignity.” She resolved to marry over 1,000 LGBTQ+ couples on January 22, the day the law comes into effect.
On his end, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra took to X (the platform formerly known as Twitter) to proclaim his support for couples and the LGBTQ+ community by saying in a message, ” #LoveWins.
The new law reflects the reputation of Thailand as a relatively progressive haven for the LGBTQ+ community, in light of more conservative attitudes that pervade more of the region. Activist Siritata Ninlapruek hailed the achievement, commenting, “After fighting for our rights for over a decade, we can now truly embrace a future of acceptance and pride.”
As Thailand embarked into this mainstream journey towards inclusivity, it found its position in the league of nations whose judicial systems agreed and accepted the legality of marriage equality, marking a new definitive turn for the Southeast Asian region.