Thailand's lower house of parliament has passed a law to legalize same-sex marriage.

On March 27, 2024, at 6:52 a.m., lawmakers in Thailand's lower house of parliament approved the same-sex marriage bill. The bill passed its final reading with the approval of 400 of the 415 members of the House of Representatives present. The bill now goes to the Senate where approval is expected.

Lawmakers approve same-sex marriage bill

Lawmakers in Thailand's lower house of parliament have overwhelmingly approved a same-sex marriage bill that will make the country the first in Southeast Asia to legally legalize marriage equality for partners of either sex. The bill passed its final reading with the approval of 400 of the 415 members of the House of Representatives present. 10 members voted against it, two abstained from voting and three did not vote.

Amendments to the Civil and Commercial Code

The bill amends the Civil and Commercial Code by replacing the words "man and woman" and "husband and wife" with "individuals" and "partners in marriage".

The move to the Senate and royal assent

The bill now goes to the Senate, where it is rare for any legislation to be rejected, before being sent for royal assent. This would make Thailand the first country in Southeast Asia to pass such a law, and the third in Asia after Taiwan and Nepal.

Danuphorn Punnakantha, a representative of the ruling Phu Thai party and president of the committee in charge of the same-sex marriage bill, told Parliament that the amendment was for "everyone in Thailand" regardless of their gender and would not take away any rights from heterosexual couples.

"We want to give rights back (to the LGBT+ group), not give them rights. These are fundamental rights that this group of people have lost," he said.

However, lawmakers did not approve the inclusion of the word "parent" along with "father and mother" in the law, which activists said would limit the rights of some LGBT+ couples to start a family and raise children.

Thailand is known for tolerance and inclusion, but has struggled for decades to pass a same-sex marriage law. The new Phu Thai government, which came to power last year, has made same-sex marriage one of its main goals.