Upon approval of the bill, Thai will be among the few countries in Asia to grant the LGBTQIA+ society its most sought-after right.
Thailand is set to make history as one of the Southeast Asian countries to embrace equal marriage following the approval of the same-sex marriage bill by politicians.
The lower house of parliaments voted hugely in favor of the bill, with over 400 members supporting it during its final reading while only 10 opposing it. It marked a significant step in strengthening the country’s reputation as an LGBTQ-friendly region.
If the bill acquires the country’s senate’s approval and the king’s endorsement, Thailand will be among the first countries in Asia to legalize gay marriage.
The bill which has taken over a decade to gain recognition would be implemented in the next 120 days upon the royal’s approval.
Ahead of the vote, the parliamentary committee chairman, Danuphorn Punnakanta invited all to make a history. According to him, the efforts to pass the same-sex marriage bill were to create equality and reduce disparity among the people of Thailand.
Plaifah Kyoka Shodladd, one of the amendment committee members also had something to say in the parliament. According to him, passing the same-sex marriage bill will be writing Thai’s new history and changing the society forever. “There are changes in the social situation, and it is time for the law to catch up with the changing situation”
However, some LGBTQIA members have a different reality. They note that the law is against discrimination, but they still face partiality and violence from the conservative society of Thailand.
Background
On December, 21st 2023, the lower house of Thailand began debating on the proposed bill by some parliament members, civil society Organizations, and the Opposition Move Forward Party. During last year’s election, most political parties, among them the Progressive Move Party that secured most seats pledged to include marriage equality in their campaigns.
Since 2015, the law of Thailand has protected the LGBTQ community against discrimination but the efforts to legalize marriage rights were delayed. However, the government of Srettha promised to propose a gender equality law, and the Ministry of Health also proposed the legalization of commercial surrogacy to make it easy for LGBTQ families to adopt children.
The Positive Impact of Bill
Approving the same-sex marriage bill will positively impact the tourism sector which contributes 12% to the country’s economy. In 2019, Thailand’s LGBTQ travel and tourism generated $6.5 billion of the gross domestic product.
Legalizing the bill could boost the country’s reputation as it is considered one of the best Asian countries for LGBTQ visitors.
What Next?
The proposed bill aims to change references in the marriage law from “women,” “men,” “wives,” and “husbands,” to gender-neutral references. Additionally, the LGBTQ couple would gain rights for adoption and inheritance as those enjoyed by heterosexual couples.
While Thailand enjoys recognition from the international LGBTQ community, activists have fought against conservative values and attitudes for decades.
In 2020, the constitutional court ruled the existing matrimonial law that acknowledges heterosexual marriage, but it advocated for the expansion of legislation to safeguard the rights of the minority.
To confirm the news of the approval of the bill, a representative appeared in the chambers with a huge rainbow flag.
Great news for the LGBTQ community in Thailand.
