Thailand to allow same-sex couples to marry in January

Thailand the third place in Asia, after Taiwan and Nepal, to allow same-sex marriage. The bill grants full legal, financial and medical rights for marriage partners of any gender. Thailand’s landmark marriage equality bill was officially written into law allowing same-sex couples to legally wed.

What is it?

• Thailand’s king has signed a landmark marriage equality bill into law, making the kingdom the first country in Southeast Asia to recognise same-sex marriages.
• King Maha Vajiralongkorn endorsed the new law according to the Royal Gazette. 
• The legislation is set to take effect in 120 days, meaning LGBTQ+ couples will be able to register their marriage in January next year.
• The law, which sailed through both the House of Representatives and the Senate in April and June respectively, grants full legal, financial and medical rights for marriage partners of any gender. 
• It uses gender-neutral terms in place of “men”, “women”, “husbands” and “wives”, and also grants adoption and inheritance rights to same-sex couples.

Their views

• Thailand has a reputation of 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 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.

Other countries 

• Taiwan was the first place in Asia to allow same-sex marriage in 2019.
• Followed last year by the South Asian country of Nepal.
• More than 30 countries around the world have legalized marriage for all since the Netherlands became the first to celebrate same-sex unions in 2001.