Thailand's same-sex marriage law comes alive; 100s get married
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Bangkok: The law allowing marriage of same-sex couples came into effect in Thailand, and hundreds of such couples get married on Thursdays. After this, Thailand became the first in Southeast Asia to legalise same-sex marriages, CNN reported.
In an event, which was carried out under the partnership of the Bangkok Pride and local authorities, more than 200 couples registered to marry at the Siam Paragon shopping centre. The law became a major victory for the LGBTQ+ community there. The community had spent more than a decade fighting for equal marriage rights.
It was last year, the Thailand Parliament approved the law, and the king endorsed it. The law allows same-sex couples to register their marriages and offers them full legal, financial, and medical rights, along with adoption and inheritance rights.
The law, approved by Thailand's parliament and endorsed by the king in 2024, grants same-sex couples the ability to legally register their marriages, offering them full legal, financial, and medical rights, as well as adoption and inheritance rights.
Thailand Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said that the marriage equality law marks the beginning of Thai society’s greater awareness of gender diversity. It also marked Thailand embracing everyone regardless of sexual orientation, race, or religion and affirmation that everyone is entitled to equal rights and dignity
Hailing the legalisation of same-sex marriages, Shinawatra said that the law is a historic milestone for equality and inclusion and called it a “collective achievement from everyone’s efforts”.
She wrote on X, "23 January 2025 - the day of Love Triumphant! More than two decades of fighting to pass the #MarriageEquality law and two decades of confronting prejudices and societal values have finally brought us to this day. This victory is a collective achievement from everyone's efforts, especially the LGBTQIA+ community, who led the movement to bring marriage equality into effect. Today, the rainbow flag is proudly flying over Thailand."
"This marriage equality law marks the beginning of Thai society's greater awareness of gender diversity and our embrace of everyone regardless of sexual orientation, race, or religion- our affirmation that everyone is entitled to equal rights and dignity," her post read.