Thailand Moves Towards Equal Marriage Rights

Thailand is moving towards the approval of equal marriage rights. After more than four hours of debate, the House of Representatives celebrated the passage of the equal marriage bill. The bill received overwhelming support, with 399 votes in favor out of 415 MPs present, and only 10 votes against.

Next, the bill will move to the Upper House of the Senate, which will have sixty days to approve the proposal or propose amendments. If everything goes smoothly, the law will then undergo review by the Constitutional Court before reaching the Sovereign. By the end of the year, egalitarian marriage is expected to be officially recognized, making Thailand the third Asian country to legalize it, following Taiwan and Nepal, and the first in Southeast Asia.

This development follows recent legal actions in other countries. In mid-March, a Japanese court declared the ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional, while India’s Supreme Court rejected the legalization of same-sex unions, deferring to Parliament. Indonesia criminalized all extramarital sexual relations in 2022, and Singapore decriminalized sex between men but maintained the ban on same-sex marriage.

The bill passed in the Thai House of Representatives defines marriage as a union between two individuals, regardless of gender. It also grants married same-sex couples the same rights and legal protections as heterosexual couples, including inheritance, tax benefits, and child adoption.

This is positive news from across the globe and provides hope for those advocating for equal rights. If you would like more information on contracting a civil union, feel free to contact the Gay Lawyers department at Giambrone & Partners Studio Legale Internazionale: info@gaylawyers.com.

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