Thai Parliament Passes Same-Sex Marriage Bill
Facts
- Thailand's parliament Wednesday passed a same-sex marriage bill, bringing the country closer to becoming the only Southeast Asian country to recognize same-sex unions.1
- The bill, which passed 399-10 in the lower house, must now pass the Senate and be approved by the king before it becomes law.2
- The bill would update the country's Civil and Commercial Code by changing the words 'men and women' and 'husband and wife' to 'individuals' and 'marriage partners,' effectively granting LGBTQ couples legal, medical, and financial rights equal to heterosexual couples.3
- Legislation regarding same-sex marriage has been discussed in Thailand for at least 10 years. In 2020, Thailand's constitutional court ruled that although the country's marriage law only recognized heterosexual marriages as constitutional, rights should be expanded.4
- Across Asia, Taiwan and Nepal have equal marriage laws and India's parliament is set to deliberate on the issue in October.2
Sources: 1BBC News, 2France 24, 3Associated Press and 4The Guardian.
Narratives
- Narrative A, as provided by Al Jazeera. This history-making vote brings Thai society one step closer to an equal society for all people. Legalizing same-sex marriage reduces social disparity across the nation and will benefit all Thai people, setting an example for other Asian countries.
- Narrative B, as provided by Time. Although this is an impressive step toward legalizing same-sex marriage in Thailand, this bill isn't law yet. Thailand is fairly tolerant but it's still a conservative country, and the success of this bill is not set in stone and the cultural context must be accounted for.