Thailand, famous for its vibrant Bangkok nightlife and its popular boy love TV series, is all set to become the first leading country in Southeast Asia to legalise gay marriage, following its upper house of legislative body approving the marriage equality bill in its final reading today.
The Thai Senate saw 130 senators voting in favour of the bill, while four others voted against it and 18 refrained from participating.
Fortify Rights human rights associate Mookdapa Yangyuenpradorn said, “Thailand’s new marriage equality law is a triumph for justice and human rights. 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 step involves the Thai Prime Minister, Srettha Thavisin, requesting the king’s royal permission for the bill. Once the king grants his approval, the bill will be gazette. It will then pass into law after 120 days.
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The final step of the bill will replace the gender-specific terms 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”.
Rights To LGBTQ+ Couples In Thailand
Legal rights to marriage, welfare, child adoption, healthcare consent, property co-management, inheritance, and access to spousal benefits such as tax deductions and government pensions will be granted to LGBTQ+ couples. It also deals with 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.
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