Thailand's historic same-sex marriage bill gets royal endorsement

Thailand's King has officially endorsed a marriage equality bill passed by parliament on June 18.
The royal endorsement was published in the official royal gazette on September 24, 2024, and the bill will come into force after 120 days, on January 22, 2025.

With this historic bill, Thailand has become the first country in Southeast Asia to legalise same-sex marriage, and the third territory in Asia to recognise same-sex couples after Nepal and Taiwan.

This law is the result of two decades of efforts by LGBTQ+ activists in the country.

This bill will now allow, same-sex couples to enjoy the same legal rights as heterosexual couples, including in areas such as adoption and inheritance.

The new law replaces gender-specific terms like "men," "women," "husbands," and "wives" with gender-neutral language.

Thailand is a top tourist destination with a reputation for its vibrant LGBTQ+ culture and has long been considered a tolerant society.

Despite the progress, some activists have criticised the new laws for not recognising transgender and non-binary individuals, who will still be unable to change their gender on official identity documents.