NEWS
Thailand set to be first Asean nation to legalise gay marriage
Published: Jun 18, 2024 5:37 PM
Updated: 5:37 PM
Thailand will become the first country in Southeast Asia to legalise gay marriage, following its upper house passing the marriage equality bill in its final reading today.
The Thai Senate saw 130 senators voting in favour of the bill, with another four voting against it and 18 abstaining.
“Thailand’s new marriage equality law is a triumph for justice and human rights,” said Fortify Rights human rights associate Mookdapa Yangyuenpradorn.
“The journey to this point has been long and fraught with challenges, but today’s vote to ensure marriage equality marks a historic moment that deserves celebration.”
The next stage is for Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin to request the king’s royal assent, after which it will be gazetted. It will then pass into law after 120 days.
The final version of the bill replaces gendered words in the Civil and Commercial Code such as “husband” and “wife” as well as “man” and “woman” with gender-neutral words like “spouse” and “person”.
This provides LGBTQ+ couples with rights to marriage, welfare, child adoption, healthcare consent, property co-management, inheritance, and access to spousal benefits such as tax deductions and government pensions.
It also addresses child marriage by raising the minimum age of consent to marriage to 18 years.
“The Thai government must now focus on ensuring swift and effective implementation of this law to safeguard LGBTQ+ rights.
“Marriage equality is fundamental to human dignity, and it is essential that Thailand protects these rights without delay or discrimination,” said Mookdapa.
