Thailand edges closer to legalising same-sex marriage

In Bangkok, the Thai parliament is about to start discussing four draft bills regarding same-sex marriage, bringing the country one step closer to its legalization as the first vote on the bills is expected to take place on Thursday.

The deliberation follows last year’s debate in parliament on similar draft laws and the previous government’s same-sex civil union bill, which did not reach a final vote before the session ended.

On Thursday, four draft bills will be discussed, including one from the new government that came to power after the May general election, another from civil society groups, and two others from opposition Move Forward and the Democrats parties, all of which have similar approaches.

“In principle, this draft law is for the amendment of some provisions in the civic codes to open the way for lovers, regardless of their gender, to engage and get married,” Deputy Prime Minister Somsak Thepsuthin told parliament about the government’s draft bill.

“This will provide rights, responsibilities and family status as equal to the marriage between a man and a woman presently in all aspects,” he said.

Somsak also mentioned that the government conducted a survey between Oct. 31 and Nov. 14 that showed 96.6% public support for the draft bill.

While Thailand has a visible LGBTQ+ community, many political activists have voiced that the country’s laws and institutions still discriminate against same-sex couples and LGBTQ+ people.

If the draft laws are approved in parliament’s first reading on Thursday, they could be tabled for final reading votes early next year, making Thailand the third place in Asia, after Taiwan and Nepal, to recognize same-sex marriage.

(Reporting by Panu Wongcha-um; Editing by Bernadette Baum)