Thailand Passes Bill to Legalize Same-Sex Marriage

By Stella Jentsch

On Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, the Thailand Marriage Equality Bill was officially written into law. The bill recognizes same-sex marriages, and grants full legal, financial, and medical rights for marriage partners of any gender. The legislation amended the country’s Civil and Commercial Code to replace gender-specific words such as “men and women” with gender-neutral words such as “individual.” 

The bill breezed through the lower and upper houses of parliament throughout the spring of 2024. King Maha Vajiralongkorn endorsed the bill, allowing it to be written into law. It will take until Jan. 22, 2025, for the bill to take effect, with many Thai citizens now applying for marriage. This follows the increasing trend of Asian countries legalizing same-sex marriage, with Taiwan being the first Asian country to do so in 2019. Since then only Nepal and Thailand have followed, the first being signed into legislation in 2023. This is a big step in making Queer and LGBTI+  people have legal protections and freedoms within not only Thailand but all of Asia. 

Researcher/Writer for Amnesty International and Thailand native Chanatip Tatiyakaroonwong writes, “Thailand has taken a historic step towards becoming the first country in Southeast Asia to legalize marriage for LGBTI couples. This landmark moment is a reward for the tireless work of activists, civil society organizations, and lawmakers who have fought for this victory.” 

Despite thousands of years of openly gay, bisexual, lesbian, and transgender people existing in Thailand, the legal and societal acceptance process has been slow. Like many of Thailand’s neighbors, ancient beliefs and institutionalized religion spread negative policies and stereotypes that hurt these communities. It wasn't until the late 1950s that the wheel of democracy started slowly turning, with many outdated and bigoted laws starting to be removed. This is still an ongoing fight within Thailand, with this bill providing a lot of hope to queer Thai citizens. “We have been waiting for this moment for so long,” says Tinnaphop Sinsomboonthong, a queer scholar and assistant professor at Thammasat University’s faculty of sociology and anthropology. “Let’s say it’s the symbol of the new change and the new transformation happening in south-east Asia.”