Thailand Introduces Same-Sex Marriage Bill

In the months since Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin promised the “marriage equality bill” following his administration’s rise to power in September 2023, the draft amendment allowing for recognition of same-sex marriages has been approved to Thailand’s Civil and Commercial Code (TCCC) by a committee of the House of Representatives and is now expected to go through its second and third readings on March 27, 2024.

The bill will change the stated official legal status and marriage composition, from “husband and wife” and “a man and a woman” to “married couple” and “two individuals,” giving LGBTQ+ couples the same rights that heterosexual couples share under the TCCC. It will also allow marriages consisting of same-sex partners from the age of 18 and above and grant them the rights to inheritance, tax allowance, and child adoption.

The previous military-backed government’s civil union bill of Thailand promised to grant LGBTQ+ couples the right to adopt children, jointly manage assets and liabilities, and inherit properties but didn’t go as far as legalizing same-sex marriage. Proponents of LGBTQ+ rights see this new bill as a significant improvement. 

If the bill successfully passes through the elected Lower House, it will then need final approval from the military-appointed Senate along with a royal endorsement before it can be enforced. All of this is expected to be completed by the end of 2024, according to Akaranun Khankittinan, a deputy chairman of the panel from the House of Representatives committee.

This will make Thailand the first-ever country in Southeast Asia and the third in Asia, after Taiwan and Nepal, to recognize same-sex marriages.

Category: Civil and Commercial Law