Thailand is the first country in Southeast Asia and the third on the continent, after Taiwan and Nepal, to recognise same-sex marriage. The King of Thailand has signed into law the same-sex marriage law, announced on Tuesday 24 September. Royal Gazettethe country’s official newspaper. king rama
The new legislation changes references to men, women, husbands and wives, replacing them with gender-neutral terms, namely “individuals” and “marriage partners.” It also gives gay couples the same rights as heterosexual couples in matters of adoption and inheritance.
The king’s signing of the law, a formal act, marks the culmination of years of campaigning and attempts to have same-sex marriage recognised. Thailand has long enjoyed a reputation for tolerance towards LGBT+ people, and opinion polls published by media outlets show majority support among Thais for marriage equality.
More than a decade of struggle for activists
However, much of society in the Buddhist-majority kingdom remains attached to conservative values, and LGBT+ people say they still face obstacles and discrimination in their daily lives.
Activists have been fighting for more than a decade to have same-sex marriage recognised, but attempts to legalise it have so far failed due to Thailand’s chronic political instability – between coups and large popular protest movements. LGBT+ activists organised a festive drag show in Bangkok on Friday to show their joy.
The law was introduced into parliament by former Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, a supporter of the LGBT+ community. Srettha was sacked in August in connection with a corruption case and replaced by Paetongtarn Shinawatra, daughter of billionaire and controversial former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. More than thirty countries have legalised same-sex marriage since 2001, when the Netherlands became the first country to allow same-sex unions.
