Thailand Becomes 1st Southeast Asian Country To Legalise Same-Sex Marriage

With royal endorsement, Thailand has become the first country in Southeast Asia to legalise same-sex marriage and the third country in Asia after Taiwan and Nepal.

Outlook Web Desk

Updated on: 25 September 2024 12:44 pm

Thailand Legalises Same-Sex Marriage As King Sings Bill Into Law | Photo: AP

In a major win for the LGBTQ community in Thailand, same-sex couples in the kingdom can get married from January 2025 onwards. After the Thai Senate overwhelmingly approved the bill for same-sex marriage, the bill was been signed into a law on Tuesday after endorsement from the King.

The law, legalising same-sex marriage, was published in the Royal Gazette after endorsement from King Maha Vajiralongkorn. The law will come into effect in 120 days, which means by January 2025, same-sex couples will be allowed to register their marriages.

Thailand lawmakers pass same-sex marriage bill | - AP

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The Thai Senate approved the law in June 2024 following two decades of efforts from activists and members of the LGBTQ community.

With royal endorsement, Thailand has become the first country in Southeast Asia to legalise same-sex marriage and the third country in Asia after Taiwan and Nepal.

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Thailand's newly elected prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra also hailed the law in a statement issued on X.

"Congratulations on everyone's love. Thank you for the support from all sectors. This is a joint fight for everyone," the Thai PM said using the hashtag #LoveWins.

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— Ing Shin (@ingshin) September 24, 2024

With the passing of this law, many activists are now looking forward to organising mass wedding events on January 22, 2025, to commemorate the historic move.

Speaking to Bangkok Post, Waaddao Anne Chumaporn, the founder of Bangkok Pride hailed the law as a "landmark step towards equal rights in Thailand."

The Marriage Equality law has also been hailed for using gender-neutral terms in place of “men”, “women”, “husbands” and “wives”. Not only does the bill legalise same-sex marriage, it also gives the couples the adoption and inheritance rights.