Thailand’s senate has passed the final reading of a historic marriage equality bill, paving the way for the country to become the first in south-east Asia to recognise same-sex marriage.
The bill gained the support of nearly all upper-house lawmakers and will be sent to the palace for the pro-forma endorsement by King Maha Vajiralongkorn. The law will come into force 120 days after it is published in the royal gazette.
“We’re all just really excited,” said Plaifah Kyoka Shodladd, an 18-year-old activist, before the law was approved. “I can feel the whole world is cheering us on.”
The bill passed its final reading on Tuesday with the approval of 130 of the 152 members of the Senate in attendance, with four voting against it and 18 abstaining.
On social media, campaigners have received supportive messages from across the world – including in French, Spanish and Burmese, Plaifah added.
Thailand will become the third country in Asia where same-sex couples can get married, after Taiwan and Nepal, and the first in south-east Asia. In October, India’s top court declined to grant legal recognition to same-sex marriages, saying it should be decided by parliament.
The new legislation changes references to “men”, “women”, “husbands” and “wives” to gender-neutral terms such as “spouse” and “person”. Couples will have equal access to marriage, as well as the same rights in areas including child adoption, healthcare consent, and inheritance.
The rights offered under the legislation will also apply to trans people – though, legally, they will still be recognised according to their sex assigned at birth, say campaigners. Activists are also pushing for a gender recognition law in Thailand to change this.
“Although Thailand has been known as the gay paradise or the queer paradise, it was never really the actual paradise for queer people. But once we have this bill it will open so many doors,” Plaifah said.
Thailand, famous for its vibrant Bangkok nightlife and its popular boy love TV series, has a vibrant and visible LGBT community, and has fostered a reputation for being a welcoming country, but activists have long pointed out that they lack basic legal protections.
Supporters will later hold a rally, featuring a drag show, in central Bangkok, while the prime minister Srettha Thavisin, will open his official residence to activists and supporters for celebrations after the vote. Many shopping malls and private businesses are displaying rainbow flags for Pride month, and Thailand is biding to host World Pride in 2030, which it hopes will also boost the tourism sector.
“We have been waiting for this moment for so long,” said Tinnaphop Sinsomboonthong, a queer scholar and assistant professor at Thammasat University’s faculty of sociology and anthropology, adding the change was likely to inspire others across the region. “Let’s say it’s the symbol of the new change and the new transformation happening in south-east Asia,” he said.