Thailand looks set to be the next country to embrace marriage equality with legislation allowing same-sex marriages being passed by the country’s lower house of parliament.
The bill will now progress to the country’s senate where it’s expected to pass and be passed on to the King for royal assent.
The proposed legislation that would allow couples of any gender combination to wed got a huge level of support from Thai politicians. Four hundred of the 415 members of the lower house voted in favour. Ten politicians voted against the change, two abstained and three did not cast any vote.
The bill changes the country’s Civil and Commercial Code to switch the words “men and women” to “individuals”, and the phrasing “husband and wife” to “marriage partners”.
It is extremely rare for the senate to oppose a bill passed by the lower house, so rights advocates are hopeful the laws will soon change.
The move will make Thailand the third country in Asia to achieve marriage equality alongside Taiwan and Nepal.
Changing the marriage laws was a key commitment made by the government led by the Pneu Thai party who came to power in 2023.
Danuphorn Punnakanta, the MP who led the committee overseas the introduction of the legislative changes celebrated the achievement. In parliament they said the changes to the laws was for “everyone in Thailand”.
OIP Staff
