Gaining immense praise from the global community, Thailand has now become the first country in Southeast Asia and the third country in Asia, after Nepal and Taiwan to pass a same sex marriage bill. On Tuesday, the bill passed its final reading in the parliament with a majority of the lawmakers voting in its favor. It will now be sent to King Maha Vajiralongkorn for his assent before it becomes a law.
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Background
Thailand has always been recognised for its vibrant LGBTQ culture and widespread acceptance. However, this acceptance was not reflected in the country’s laws. Activists in the region have campaigned for years against a largely conservative legal outlook. The laws in the country have garnered criticism for failing to acknowledge transgender and binary people and for disallowing people to change their gender on official documents.
Provisions of the New Bill
The new bill now includes gender neutral terms in official legislation. Marriage is now defined as a partnership between two individuals. Moreover, words such as ‘men’, ‘women’ and ‘wives’ have now been replaced by ‘spouse’ and ‘person’. Both individuals in the partnership will now have equal rights in child adoption, healthcare consent and inheritance. These rights offered under the new legislation will also apply to trans people, even though legally they still stand recognised through their sex assigned at birth.
Actions Undertaken by Neighboring Countries
In states such as Malaysia and Myanmar, laws criminalizing homogenous sexual acts still exist being an inheritance from the British colonial rule. In 2022, Singapore repealed a law that criminalized sex between men paving the way for a potential legislation that would permit same-sex marriages. In 2023, the Indian Supreme Court declined to legalise same-sex marriage and left the decision to the Parliament. This new development in Thailand serves as an example for other countries in the region to follow.
Reactions to the Passing of the New Bill in Thailand
Besides receiving congratulatory messages from around the world, locals were seen celebrating with rainbow flags at the government house following the passing of the bill. Supporters are also said to be holding a rally featuring a drag show in the heart of the capital city. Srettha Thavisin, the Prime Minister will also open his official residence for celebrations. Many public spaces including shopping malls and other stores were also seen flaunting the rainbow flags to celebrate pride month. Lastly, Thailand is also a key contender to host World Pride in 2030 which will further improve its image and its currency as a tourism destination.
