Thailand continues to advance its initiative to legalise same-s*x marriage, with legislators poised to endorse revisions that would establish the country as the first in Southeast Asia to ensure equal rights in marriage.
On March 14, a committee established by Thailand’s House of Representatives approved the draft amendment to the country’s civil and commercial code, as stated by Mr. Akaranun Khankittinan, a deputy chairman of the panel.
Lawmakers are anticipated to deliberate on the amended bill for the second and third readings on March 27, he added.
Once the bill clears the elected lower house, it will require final approval from the Senate and then a royal endorsement before it can be enacted. Mr. Akaranun informed reporters that the process is expected to be finalised by the end of 2024.
The bill proposes a significant change to the structure of marriage, shifting from “a man and a woman” to “two individuals,” and altering the legal status from “husband and wife” to a gender-neutral “married couple”.
Its aim is to ensure that LGBTQ couples have the same fundamental rights as heterosexual couples currently do under the civil and commercial code.
Referred to as the “marriage equality bill”, it stands as one of the key promises of Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s administration, which assumed power in September 2023.
In December 2023, Mr. Srettha’s Cabinet endorsed the proposal, followed by parliamentary approval in the first reading shortly after.
Currently, only two places in Asia, Taiwan and Nepal, recognise same-s*x marriage, which is a minority among fewer than 40 places worldwide.
In other parts of the continent, efforts to advance LGBTQ rights have seen varying degrees of success.
Recently, a high court in Sapporo, Japan, declared the country’s ban on same-s*x marriage unconstitutional.
The case will now proceed to the Supreme Court of Japan, where a ruling against the government could prompt Parliament to reconsider the law.
Further, in 2023, Hong Kong’s highest court instructed the government to establish laws recognising same-s*x partnerships, marking one of the most significant victories for LGBTQ activists in the financial hub.
In 2023, India’s Supreme Court declined to legalise same-s*x marriage, stating that it is an issue for Parliament to address.
In Southeast Asia, Indonesia, which does not recognise gay marriage, recently implemented a ban on all extramarital s*x, while Singapore decriminalised s*x between men but has not advanced towards marriage equality.
The latest version of Thailand’s bill permits same-s*x partners aged 18 and above to marry, according to Mr. Tunyawaj Kamolwongwat, another deputy chairman of the committee.
It also provides them with rights to inheritance, tax benefits, and child adoption, among other guaranteed rights.
This bill goes further than the previous military-backed Thai government’s civil union bill, which aimed to recognise same-s*x civil partnerships but fell short of legalising marriage.
Despite its provisions for LGBTQ couples to adopt children, manage assets jointly, and inherit properties, the bill failed to gain parliamentary approval before the lower house was dissolved by then-Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha ahead of a general election in May 2023.