Roughly 300 couples will marry in a mass ceremony in central Bangkok on Thursday, Jan. 23, as same-s£x marriage becomes legal in Thailand.
After decades of campaigning and countless setbacks, Thailand is becoming the first country in southeast Asia to introduce full marriage equality.
The comprehensive same-s£x marriage law received the king of Thailand’s formal endorsement and was published in the Royal Gazette on September 24, 2024. It will become effective tomorrow, January, 23, 2025.
The marriage equality bill, which sailed through both the House of Representatives and the Senate, amended the Civil and Commercial Code to change the words “men and women” and “husband and wife” to “individuals” and “marriage partners.” It would open up access to full legal, financial and medical rights for LGBTQ couples.
Last week, on Jan. 15, Government House invited dozens of LGBTQ couples and activists for a photo op and a meeting with Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and several high ranking officials to celebrate the law coming into effect, making Thailand the first in Southeast Asia and the third in Asia, after Taiwan and Nepal, to legalize same-s£x marriage.
The organizers of Bangkok Pride have collaborated with relevant government agencies to hold a grand celebration in central Bangkok and facilitate couples who wish to register their marriage on the very first day.
They said that more than 300 couples have registered to officially tie the knot on Thursday at the event.
“(The law) is about returning our dignity, and confirming that we also have dignity as a human being,” said Ann “Waaddao” Chumaporn, a gender equality activist and the lead organizer of Bangkok Pride. “That day is going to be meaningful to all the couples that have gone through this journey together. I’d like to thank everyone, every love, that has faithfully struggled so that today would finally happen.”
