Thailand Approves Same-sex Marriage

Thailand has become the first country in the Southeast Asia Region to legalise same-sex marriage.

Its Senate passed a marriage equality bill on Tuesday, June 18.

The Senate upper house gave a final approval — by 130 votes to four, with 18 abstentions — allowing same-sex couples to get married.

The new legislation is expected to go to King Maha Vajiralongkorn for royal assent and come into force 120 days after publication in the official Royal Gazette.

Thailand will become the third place in Asia where same-sex couples have been legalised after Taiwan and Nepal although India came close in October but the Supreme Court referred the decision back to parliament.

A member of the committee that scrutinised the law and a LGBTQ activist, Plaifah Kyoka Shodladd, told senators after the vote: “We are very proud of everyone involved in this historic moment. You have helped to bring about a massive change.

Aljazeera reports that the new legislation changes references to “men”, “women”, “husbands” and “wives” in marriage laws to gender-neutral terms.

It also gives same-sex couples the same rights as heterosexual ones when it comes to adoption and inheritance.

Activists also plan an evening rally featuring a drag show in central Bangkok, where giant shopping malls have been flying the rainbow flag in a show of support since the start of Pride Month in June.

Thailand has long enjoyed a reputation for tolerance of the LGBTQ community, and opinion polls reported in local media show overwhelming public support for equal marriage.

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.