Thailand’s landmark marriage equality bill was officially written into law on Tuesday, allowing same-sex couples to legally wed.
The law was published in the Royal Gazette after endorsement by Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn and is to come into effect in 120 days. This means LGBTQ+ couples will be able to register their marriage in January next year, making Thailand the third place in Asia, after Taiwan and Nepal, to allow same-sex marriage.
The bill, which grants full legal, financial and medical rights for marriage partners of any gender, sailed through both the Thai House of Representatives and the Senate in April and June respectively.
Photo: Reuters
“Congratulations to everyone’s love,” Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra wrote on X, adding the hashtag #LoveWins.
Thailand has a reputation for acceptance and inclusivity, but struggled for decades to pass a marriage equality law. Thai society largely holds conservative values, and members of the LGBTQ+ community say they face discrimination in everyday life.
The Thai government and state agencies are also historically conservative, and advocates for gender equality had a hard time pushing lawmakers and civil servants to accept change.
Bangkok Deputy Governor Sanon Wangsrangboon last week said that the city officials would be ready to register same-sex marriages after the law gets enacted.
The legislation amended the country’s Civil and Commercial Code to replace gender-specific words such as “men and women” with gender-neutral words such as “individual.”
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