(Bloomberg) — Thailand’s same-sex marriage bill cleared its final hurdle with the Senate endorsing it in a special session Tuesday, putting the nation on course to be the first in Southeast Asia to guarantee marriage equality.
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The 250-member upper house voted with 130 in support of the bill that was already passed by the elected House of Representatives in March. Four senate members voted against the bill while eight abstained.
The so-called marriage equality bill is technically an amendment to the country’s Civil and Commercial Code. The legislation will come into force 120 days after it’s published in the Royal Gazette following a royal endorsement.
When the changes come into force, Thailand will recognize marriage registrations of same-sex partners aged 18 and above, along with their rights to inheritance, tax allowances and child adoption, among others. Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s administration has made it a signature issue, and advocates say it would also burnish Thailand’s reputation as an LGBTQ-friendly tourist destination.
Thailand will become the third place in Asia to recognize same-sex marriage, after Taiwan and Nepal, and rank among some 40 countries around the world to guarantee equal marital rights.
LGBTQ activists in Thailand have fought for over a decade for the same rights to marry as heterosexual couples. Although Thai laws have protected LGBTQ people from most kinds of discrimination since 2015, attempts to formalize marriage rights had stalled.
Srettha’s government has vowed to push ahead with more progressive laws, including legislations to recognize gender identity and legalize prostitution. The health ministry has also proposed legalizing commercial surrogacy to allow LGBTQ couples to adopt children. Thailand is seeking to host the WorldPride events in Bangkok in 2028.
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