Thailand has moved significantly closer to achieving marriage equality with a landmark development as the lower house approved a bill granting legal recognition to same-sex marriages.
The bill still requires endorsement from the Senate and royal approval to be enacted into law.
Anticipation is high that this will occur by the conclusion of 2024, positioning Thailand as the sole Southeast Asian nation to acknowledge same-sex partnerships officially.
This move will solidify Thailand’s status as a comparatively safe space for LGBTQ+ couples within a region where such acceptance remains scarce.
“This is the beginning of equality. It’s not a universal cure to every problem but it’s the first step towards equality,” Danuphorn Punnakanta, an MP and chairman of the lower house’s committee on marriage equality, told parliament while presenting a draft of the bill.
“This law wants to return these rights to this group of people, not grant them the rights,” he added.
The newly passed law, supported by 400 out of 415 lawmakers present, redefines marriage as a union between two individuals rather than specifically between a man and a woman. It ensures that LGBTQ+ couples have equal rights to access marital tax benefits, inherit property, and provide medical consent for incapacitated partners.
Thailand already boasts legislation prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation, positioning it as one of Asia’s most LGBTQ+ inclusive nations.
However, achieving marriage equality has been a prolonged struggle, despite widespread public backing. Previous attempts to legalize same-sex marriage faltered, despite strong public support. A government survey conducted late last year revealed that 96.6 per cent of respondents favored the bill.
Before last year’s election, multiple political parties pledged to recognise same-sex unions in Thailand. Prime Minister Sretta Thavisin has vocally supported this cause since taking office in September 2023.
In December, the lower house of parliament passed four bills to legalize same-sex marriage, including one from Thavisin’s administration and three from opposition parties.
Despite the visibility of transgender communities, proposals allowing gender identity changes have been rejected.
How are other Southeast Asian countries faring?
Thailand’s stance on LGBTQ+ rights distinguishes it in Southeast Asia, where some countries criminalise same-sex relationships. In Asia, Taiwan legalised same-sex marriage in 2019, while Nepal registered its first same-sex union in November 2023. Conversely, India’s Supreme Court ruled against it in October 2023. In Japan, efforts for marriage equality face opposition from traditional factions. Singapore abolished a colonial-era ban on gay sex in 2022 but amended its constitution to preserve marriage’s heterosexual definition.
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(With inputs from agencies)
