Same-sex marriage has been legalized in Thailand. Hundreds of couples are getting married across the country

On January 23, a law legalizing LGBTQ marriages went into effect in Thailand. The words “man,” “woman,” “husband,” and “wife” were removed from the relevant definition in the country’s Civil Code and replaced with the gender-neutral terms “spouse” and “person.” Special registration offices have opened across the country where LGBTQ people can get married starting today. Ceremonies have already been held for hundreds of couples—some of whom have been waiting for this for decades. Activists hope that by the end of Thursday, at least 1,448 same-sex couples will have gotten married. This is the section number of the Thai Civil Code that defines marriage.

Thailand has become the first country in Southeast Asia to legalize same-sex unions. Prior to this, same-sex marriages had been recognized only in Taiwan (in 2019) and Nepal (in 2023) across the entire continent.

"It doesn't matter what gender you are or who you love—love knows no boundaries. Everyone will be protected by the same laws.", — said the country's Prime Minister, Phetthongtham Chinnawat, last week.

As a reminder, on September 25, 2024, the King of Thailand signed into law a bill passed by the country’s parliament granting legal recognition to same-sex marriages. Thailand thus became the first country in Southeast Asia to legalize same-sex unions.

• Thailand’s upper house of parliament approved the law in June 2024, and it was subsequently published in the monarchy’s official gazette. It took effect on January 23, 2025.Same-sex spouses will also be able to adopt children. However, lawmakers rejected a proposal by the relevant committee to use the term “parents” instead of “fathers and mothers.”
• The fight for the recognition of same-sex marriage in Thailand has been going on for more than 10 years.
• The majority of the country's residents support same-sex marriage — At the end of last year, according to one survey, 96.6% of respondents were in favor of this. However, the government had long opposed it.