Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn has signed same-sex marriage into law, the official Royal Gazette stated on Sept. 24—making Thailand the first country in Southeast Asia to recognize marriage equality, according to the South China Morning Post.
Vajiralongkorn gave royal assent to the new law, which bestows full legal, financial and medical rights upon marriage partners of any gender, ABC News noted. (Parliament passed the measure in June.) This royal development will take effect in 120 days, meaning the first same-sex weddings can take place in January 2025.
Thailand becomes only the third place in Asia where same-sex couples can wed, after Taiwan and Nepal.
The legislation amended the country’s Civil and Commercial Code to replace gender-specific words like “men” and “women” with gender-neutral words such as “individual.”
LGBTQ+-rights advocate Waaddao Chumaporn plans to organize a mass wedding for more than a thousand LGBTQ+ couples in Bangkok on Jan. 22—the first day the law takes effect. She said, “The law is a monumental step towards equal rights in Thailand.”
In addition, Thailand Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra posted congratulations “for everyone’s love” on the social-media platform X, adding, “#LoveWins.”
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