Thailand on the verge of legalizing same-sex marriage as parliament passes landmark bill

Thailand’s lower house of parliament passed a marriage equality bill on final reading on Wednesday, a landmark step that brings the country closer to becoming the third region in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage.

The bill now requires Senate approval and the King’s assent to become law. The bill was supported by all major political parties in Thailand and passed with 400 votes to 10 against among the 415 MPs present.

“We are doing this for all Thai people, to reduce social inequality and start creating equality,” Danuphorn Punnakanta, chairman of the parliamentary committee on the draft bill, told lawmakers before it was read out.

“I want to invite everyone to make history together.”

The passage of the bill marks a major step forward in Thailand’s status as one of the most liberal societies in Asia on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues, with an open and liberal attitude mixed with traditional, conservative Buddhist values. coexist.

Thailand has long been a magnet for same-sex couples, offering a vibrant LGBT social scene for locals and expats alike, and running targeted events to attract LGBT travelers.

The bill is likely to come into effect within 120 days of royal assent. Thailand will become the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage, following Taiwan and Nepal.

The legislation has been in the works for more than a decade, but has been delayed by political unrest and disagreements over what approach to take and what the bill should contain.

In 2020, the Constitutional Court ruled that Thailand’s current marriage law, which only recognizes opposite-sex couples, was constitutional and recommended that the legislation be expanded to ensure the rights of other genders.

In December, parliament approved four different draft same-sex marriage bills on first reading and tasked a committee with merging them into a single draft.