Thailand’s king has signed into law a same-sex marriage law, the country’s official Royal Gazette said Tuesday, making Thailand the first country in Southeast Asia to recognize marriage equality.
King Maha Vajiralongkorn gave royal assent to the new law, which was passed by parliament in June and will come into force in 120 days, meaning the first weddings are expected to take place in January.
Thailand becomes the third country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage, after Taiwan and Nepal.
The bill changes references to “men,” “women,” “husbands” or “wives” to gender-neutral terms such as “individuals” and “marriage partners.” It also gives same-sex couples the same rights as heterosexual couples in matters of adoption and inheritance.
The king’s promulgation of the law, a formal act, marks the culmination of years of campaigning to have same-sex marriage legally recognised, and of attempts at legalisation.
Thailand has long enjoyed a reputation for tolerance toward LGBTQ people, and media opinion polls show majority support among Thais for same-sex marriage.
However, much of the kingdom’s Buddhist-majority society remains committed to conservative values, and LGBTQ people say they still face barriers and discrimination in their daily lives.
Activists have fought for more than a decade to have same-sex marriage recognized, but attempts to legalize it have so far failed due to Thailand’s chronic political instability, between coups and major popular protests.
LGBTQ activists staged a festive drag show in Bangkok on Friday to show their joy. Apiwat Apiwatsayree, a well-known figure in Thailand’s LGBTQ movement, and her partner Sappanyoo Panatkool, who have been together for 17 years, are among those who have had to wait a long time to finally tie the knot. “We have waited a long time,” Apiwat, 49, told AFP on Friday. “As soon as the law comes into force, we will register our marriage.”
The law was introduced in parliament by former prime minister Srettha Thavisin, a supporter of the LGBTQ community. He was impeached in August over a corruption case and replaced by Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the daughter of billionaire and controversial former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
More than 30 countries have legalized same-sex marriage. The Netherlands was the first country to celebrate same-sex unions in 2001.
