In a groundbreaking move, Thailand’s king has signed a historic bill into law, granting same-sex couples the right to marry and cementing the country’s position as a beacon of progress and equality in Southeast Asia. This landmark legislation marks a major victory for the LGBTQ+ community and sets a powerful precedent for the region.

Thailand’s king has signed a marriage equality bill into law, making the country the first in Southeast Asia to recognise same-sex unions.

The bill cleared the Senate in June 2024 but required the monarch’s endorsement to become law.

It was published in the Royal Gazette on Tuesday, September 24, and will come into effect on 22 January next year.

Activists hailed the move as historic as it marks the culmination of years of campaigning for marriage equality.

The new law uses gender-neutral terms in place of “husbands”, “wives“, “men” and “women”. It also grants same-sex couples adoption and inheritance rights. 

“Today we’re not only getting to write our names in marriage certificates, but we are also writing a history page… that tells us that love never set a condition of who we were born to be,” Ann Chumaporn, a longtime LGBTQ+ activist and co-founder of the Bangkok Pride movement, told the BBC. “It’s a triumph of equality and human dignity.”

She said she plans to organise a mass wedding for more than 1,000 LGBTQ+ couples on 22 January.

“We are all delighted and excited. We’ve been fighting for our rights for over 10 years, and now it’s finally happening,” another activist, Siritata Ninlapruek, told AFP news agency.

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra posted on X formerly known as Twitter : “Congratulations on everyone’s love. #LoveWins.”