Thailand poised to be the first Southeast Asian country to legalise marriage equality
Image: Members celebrate after marriage equality bill passes Thailand's lower house. Source: X
This week, Thailand鈥檚 lower house of Parliament overwhelmingly passed a marriage equality bill that would legalise equal rights for married couples of any gender.聽
After its final reading, the bill passed with the approval of 400 out of the 415 members voting. Of the remaining 15 members, two abstained, three did not vote, and only ten voted against the bill.
A consolidation of four draft bills from differing political parties, the final version of the bill amends the Civil and Commercial Code, changing the words “men and women” to 鈥渋ndividuals鈥�, and “husband and wife” to “marriage partners”.
The amendments would mean complete legal, financial and medical rights for 17c起草社区+ couples in the country.
Footage from Thai Parliament after the final reading of bill shows members celebrating, flying rainbow flags and applauding:
喙赌喔傅喔⑧竾喔涏福喔氞浮喔粪腑喔佮箟喔竾喔笭喔�
喔弗喔编竾喔｀箞喔侧竾 喔�.喔�.喔�. 喔溹箞喔侧笝喔о覆喔｀赴 3 喔笭喔侧笢喔灌箟喙佮笚喔權福喔侧俯喔庎福喙佮笚喔權竸喔赤競喔競喔笟喔勦父喔撪竵喔侧福喔椸赋喔囙覆喔權笗喔ム腑喔� 2 喙�喔斷阜喔笝喔勦福喔多箞喔囙笚喔掂箞喔溹箞喔侧笝喔∴覆喔傕腑喔囙竵喔｀福喔∴覆喔樴复喔佮覆喔｀抚喔脆釜喔侧浮喔编笉喔椸父喔佮笚喙堗覆喔�
喔傕腑喔氞竸喔膏笓喔炧傅喙堗笝喙夃腑喔囙笡喔｀赴喔娻覆喔娻笝喔椸父喔佮竸喔�
鈥� 喔炧福喔｀竸喙�喔炧阜喙堗腑喙勦笚喔� Pheu Thai Party (@PheuThaiParty)
Thailand has , but the recent vote means Thailand is now poised to be the first country in Southeast Asia to legalise marriage equality.聽
If the bill is approved, Thailand will join Taiwan and Nepal as the only countries in Asia that have marriage equality enshrined in law.
Next steps for marriage equality in Thailand
Now that the bill has passed in Thailand鈥檚 lower house, the bill must be approved by the senate 鈥� which historically, rarely rejects legislation that has passed the lower house.
Then, the bill is sent to the Thai king for royal ascent. With his endorsement, the bill will be published in Thailand鈥檚 Royal Gazette, and become law within 60 days.聽
Spokesperson of the governing Pheu Thai party Danuphorn Punnakanta, who is also the president of a committee overseeing the marriage equality bill, said in Parliament that the amendment is for 鈥渆veryone in Thailand鈥�.
鈥淔or this law, we would like to return rights to the (17c起草社区+ community),” said Punnakanta. “We are not giving them rights. These are the fundamental rights that this group of people 鈥� has lost.”
The Pheu Thai post added: 鈥淭oday is considered a good sign that Thailand will be the first country in south-east Asia to have equal marriage laws. It raises the level of Thailand in the eyes of the world.鈥�
You May Also Like
