A first in Southeast Asia.
Thailand became the first nation in Southeast Asia to legalize marriage equality, with the country’s Senate approving the landmark bill. In total, 130 senators voted in favor of the bill, with four members opposing.
This was an expected development after it cleared the country’s House of Representatives in a near-unanimous vote in March.
Although the bill will still require the endorsement from the king before it can be implemented, this process is considered a formality.
The law will then take effect 120 days after its announcement in the Royal Gazette.
With this, Thailand becomes the third country in Asia to allow marriage equality. Taiwan legalized LGBTQIA marriage in 2019, and Nepal in 2023.
