In Thailand, the cabinet of Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has approved a bill on marriage equality, which is expected to be debated in parliament as soon as December 12. If/when approved, the country could become the first in Southeast Asia to legalize same-sex marriage.
The bill will amend the country’s Civil and Commercial Code by replacing terms like “men and women” or “husband and wife” with the words “individuals” or “spouse”; this would allow those in LGBTQIA relationships to receive the same rights as heterosexual couples.
In 2021, the country’s constitutional court actually already ruled that the existing marriage law in Thailand, which only recognizes heterosexual couples, was constitutional. However, it urged the parliament to draft laws that included the rights of LGBTQIA people. This new bill needs to be approved by both the legislature and the country’s monarch.
