Thailand passes Southeast Asia’s first same-sex marriage law

The Thai Senate has approved a marriage equality bill that will make the country the first in Southeast Asia to legalize same-sex marriage.

As reported by Kyodo News, the project received the support of an overwhelming majority of legislators in the Upper House in a vote held on Tuesday. The legislation will undergo royal assent and is expected to come into force 120 days after its publication in the Royal Gazette later this year.

The House of Representatives had approved the bill in March.

Under the law, same-sex couples will have the same marital rights as heterosexual couples, including the right to adopt children and inherit property.

The law uses gender-neutral terms, referring to married couples as “two individuals” instead of “a man and a woman.”

LGBTQ+ people from any country will be able to register their marriages in Thailand or with their Thai partners. Foreign same-sex couples may apply for a conjugal visa.

Thailand is known for its LGBTQ+ culture and tolerance. Earlier this month, thousands of LGBTQ+ people took part in a Pride parade in Bangkok and Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin joined them.