Photo: Bangkok Pride 2022ไทย: บางกอกไพรด์ 2022 สีลม กรุงเทพฯ. Credit: Chainwit.
Jim Luce married a Thai national who is now a naturalized U.S. citizen.
If the King approves this, what will this mean for them in Thailand?
New York, N.Y. LGBTQ+ advocates hailed the move as a significant “victory” as it makes Thailand the first country in Southeast Asia to enact marriage equality legislation.
On Tuesday, Thai lawmakers passed the final reading of a marriage equality law after more than two decades of effort from activists and politicians.
This vote sets Thailand on the path to becoming the first Southeast Asian nation and the third Asian nation—after Nepal and Taiwan—to recognize same-sex marriage.
The Senate’s upper house approved the bill by an overwhelming majority of 130 to 4, with 18 abstentions. The legislation now heads to King Maha Vajiralongkorn for royal approval.
How was the news greeted?
LGBTQ+ rights advocates have called the move a “victory.” Tunyawaj Kamolwongwat, an MP with the progressive Move Forward Party, said, “Today is the day that Thai people will smile. It is a victory for the people.”
“Today is the day that Thai people will smile. It is a victory for the people.”
“We are very proud of everyone involved in this historic moment. You have helped to bring about a massive change,” Plaifah Kyoka Shodladd, an LGBTQ activist and committee member who scrutinized the law, told senators following the vote. “Today love wins over prejudice.”
Thailand’s Prime Minister, Srettha Thavisin, has given the LGBTQ community and the bill his full backing and will open his official residence to activists and supporters for celebrations later.
What will change?
Despite Thailand’s vibrant gay and transgender community, the Thai LGBTQ community has lacked many rights reserved for legal partners. The new legislation changes references to “men,” “women,” “husbands,” and “wives” in marriage laws to gender-neutral terms. It also grants same-sex couples the right to adopt children and provides several privileges such as tax deductions, medical consent for spouses, joint property management, and inheritance rights.
Thailand First Southeast Asian to Enact Marriage Equality (June 18, 2024)
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