Thailand will become the first Southeast Asian nation to legalize same-sex marriage

CNN
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Thailand will become the first country in Southeast Asia to legalize same-sex marriage after the kingdom's Senate passed a marriage equality bill on Tuesday, with supporters calling it a monumental step forward for LGBTQ+ rights.

The Senate voted overwhelmingly in favor of passing the bill after final reading, with 130 senators voting in favor. Only four members opposed the bill.

The bill still requires royal approval before marriage equality becomes a reality in Thailand, but that process is considered a formality. The law will then come into force 120 days after it is published in the Royal Gazette.

The result of the vote means Thailand will become only the third country in Asia to allow marriage equality after Taiwan legalized same-sex marriage in 2019 and Nepal in 2023.

The bill represents a monumental step forward for LGBTQ+ rights in Thailand, Panyaphon Phiphatkhunarnon, founder of Love Foundation an NGO campaigning for LGBTQ+ equality in Thailand told CNN.

The potential impact of this bill is enormous. This would not only change the lives of countless couples, but also contribute to a fairer and more equal society for all.

The bill gives LGBTQ+ couples the same legal rights and recognition as heterosexual couples, including rights related to inheritance, adoption and health care decision-making.

Beyond the legal implications, passing this bill would send a powerful message of acceptance and inclusion, Panyaphon said.

It would inspire the younger generation to come out and live their lives authentically, showcase Thailand as a progressive and inclusive country that attracts tourists and businesses, and foster a culture change where LGBTQ+ individuals feel accepted and supported .

Bangkok residents Pokpong Jitjaiyai and Watit Benjamonkolchai say they plan to marry once the law is passed.

When I was young, people said people like us couldn't have families, couldn't have children, so marriage was impossible, Pokpong told CNN. Over 10 years ago, we could not live together as we are now. We could never be our true selves as it is now and now I can freely say I'm gay.

Pokpong said he hopes the marriage equality law will start a domino effect in other countries.

I want people around the world to see what love is like. Love is love, he said.

The marriage equality bill was backed by all major parties and marks an important step in cementing the country's reputation as one of the friendliest in the region towards gays, lesbians and transgender people.

Previous efforts to legalize marriage equality over the past decade had stalled. In 2020, the Constitutional Court ruled that Thailand's current law, which stipulates that marriage is between a man and a woman, was constitutional.

Several of the main political parties that contested last year's election pledged to promote marriage equality as part of their campaign, including the progressive Move Forward Party, which won a majority of seats.

But that party, which had a large youth following, was unable to form a government when former rivals joined forces to keep it out of office. Both the future of the party and its popular former leader Pita Limjaroenrat remain uncertain as they face a raft of criminal prosecutions.

However, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, of the Pheu Thai Party, had also promised to bring the marriage equality bill to parliament.

Wearing a rainbow shirt, Srettha took part in Bangkok's Pride Month celebrations in early June, joining a massive parade through the capital's streets.

It's a fundamental right to choose who you want, he said in a post on X on June 1.

Srettha has been keen to showcase Thailand as a welcoming destination for LGBTQ+ people, including voicing support for a bid to host World Pride in 2030.

We have come a long way in our journey towards social equality. I want to reaffirm my commitment to governments in pushing for the Equal Marriage Bill, which today we can clearly see the light at the end of the tunnel, Srettha told X on 1 June.

We look forward to hosting World Pride 2030 in Thailand.

As only the third territory in Asia to embrace marriage equality, Thailand remains an outlier in a region that has been slow to grant LGBTQ+ rights and where members of the community often face discrimination, prejudice and even violence.

Growing religious conservatism and colonial-era laws have made life difficult for the LGBTQ+ community in much of Southeast Asia, where same-sex relationships have been criminalized in several countries, including Myanmar and Brunei.

In Indonesia, gay sex is not illegal, except in the ultra-conservative province of Aceh. But LGBTQ+ people have faced widespread discrimination, police raids, vigilante attacks and open hostility from Indonesian authorities and Islamist groups across the country. Indonesia's new Penal Code, ratified in 2022, makes consensual sex outside marriage a criminal offense and rights groups say this will disproportionately affect LGBTQ+ people as same-sex couples cannot marry in Indonesia.

In Malaysia, homosexuality is a crime punishable by fines and imprisonment of up to 20 years. The Muslim-majority country has seen a rise in conservative attitudes in recent years. Rights groups say the LGBTQ+ community faces growing intolerance in Malaysia and accuse the government of being at least partly to blame.

Singapore only repealed a colonial-era law criminalizing sex between men in 2022, but the Singaporean government has reiterated its opposition to gay marriage and vowed to make it harder for people to legally challenge government policies. In Singapore, married couples have access to greater housing subsidies and adoption rights than singles.

Japan is the only Group of Seven (G7) country that has not even recognized same-sex civil unions.same-sex marriagedespite recent high court rulings ruling that banning same-sex marriage is unconstitutional.

Last year, India's top court refused to legally recognize same-sex unions in a landmark ruling, after activists had sought the right to marry under Indian law.

In mainland China, Beijing has stepped up its crackdown on LGBTQ activists and groups in recent years, with Chinese leader Xi Jinping increasingly emphasizing the ruling Communist Party's absolute control over every aspect of society.

In other jurisdictions, activists have made small case-by-case gains as they appeal through the courts.

South Korea does not legally recognize same-sex marriage, but in February 2023, a South Korean court ruled in favor of a same-sex couple seeking equal health benefits. South Korea has also drawn international criticism for its military penal code, which makes same-sex relations punishable by up to two years in prison. In past years, dozens have been arrested in what critics have called a gay witch hunt.