Thailand becomes first Southeast Asian country to legalise same-sex marriage

Subscribe to updates Unsubscribe from updates

Hundreds of couples are celebrating in Thailand as the country becomes the first Southeast Asian nation to legalise same-sex marriage.

The landmark Marriage Equality Act, passed by a historic parliamentary vote last June and ratified by King Maha Vajiralongkorn in October, takes effect Thursday.

Thailand’s updated marriage law now uses gender-neutral language, replacing terms like “husbands” and “wives” with inclusive terminology. Same-sex couples are granted the same adoption and inheritance rights as heterosexual couples, as well as the ability to make medical decisions for incapacitated partners and extend personal financial benefits, such as state pensions.

To mark the occasion, campaign group Bangkok Pride and city officials have organized a mass LGBTQ wedding in Bangkok, where around 180 couples are registering their unions at Siam Paragon shopping mall.

Transgender woman Ariya “Jin” Milintanapa, who participated in the event, expressed the significance of the moment, saying, “This day is important not just for us, but for our kids as well. Our family will finally become one.”

With this milestone, Thailand joins Taiwan and Nepal as the third Asian country to legalize same-sex marriage. The law marks the culmination of nearly a decade of advocacy by LGBTQ groups in the country.

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra celebrated the law’s passage, emphasizing the need for broader recognition of gender identity. “Whether male, female, or non-binary, people should have the right to identify as they wish,” she stated. “No matter your gender or who you love, love knows no limits or expectations. Everyone will be protected under the same laws.”

Although public support for the law is high, parts of Thailand, a Buddhist-majority country, remain more conservative and traditional in their views on gender and marriage.