Thailand has become the first country in Southeast Asia and the third in Asia to recognize same-sex marriage, with the landmark marriage equality bill being endorsed by the monarchy. The bill, which has been officially written into law and will take effect in 120 days, allows LGBTQ couples to register their marriages starting from January 22. The law amends the country’s Civil and Commercial Code to use gender-neutral language and grants married couples full legal, financial, and medical rights regardless of gender.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra congratulated everyone’s love and used the hashtag #LoveWins to celebrate the passing of the law. Thailand, a popular tourist destination with a vibrant LGBTQ social scene, has a mix of tolerant and conservative social values, making the approval of the bill a years-long struggle for activists. Taiwan was the first in Asia to allow same-sex marriage in 2019, followed by Nepal last year. Taiwan recently announced that Taiwanese Chinese couples can now legally register their cross-strait marriages on the island. Thailand’s move towards marriage equality is seen as a significant step forward in promoting LGBTQ rights in the region.
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