Hundreds of same-sex couples are poised to exchange vows in Thailand on Thursday (23 January) as the nation cements its status as the largest in Asia to legalise equal marriage.
A mass LGBTQ+ wedding, organised by Bangkok Pride in collaboration with city authorities, is set to take place in the capital, reports Voice of America.
The event is expected to witness hundreds of marriage registrations as the groundbreaking law officially comes into effect.
Thailand, a nation long recognised for its progressive stance on LGBTQ+ rights, has reached a significant milestone by becoming the first in Southeast Asia to permit same-sex marriage.
The law, passed in a historic parliamentary vote last June, makes Thailand the third Asian nation to embrace marriage equality, following Taiwan and Nepal.
King Maha Vajiralongkorn ratified the legislation in October, with its provisions coming into force after a 120-day period.
The law replaces gender-specific terms such as “husbands” and “wives” with gender-neutral language and extends adoption and inheritance rights to same-sex couples.
More than 30 nations globally have embraced equal marriage since the Netherlands pioneered the legalisation of same-sex unions in 2001.
Thursday’s celebrations will see couples registering their marriages at Bangkok’s central Siam Paragon shopping mall and district offices nationwide from 8am.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, speaking during a celebratory photoshoot last week, declared, “No matter your gender or who you love, love knows no limits or expectations. Everyone will be protected under the same laws."
