Thailand’s Interior Ministry is prepared for the implementation of the Marriage Equality Bill, set to take effect later this month, announced ministry spokeswoman Traisulee Taisaranakul.
Ms. Traisulee stated that the Department of Provincial Administration (DoPA) has updated its regulations to align with the new law and has established rules to streamline the registration process.
Additionally, the department has upgraded its computer systems and marriage registration forms to ensure the seamless registration of same-sex marriages once the bill is enacted on January 22, she added on Friday.
“A trial run was carried out last month, and it’s all ready. When the marriage equality law takes effect on January 23, same-sex couples can register their marriages at any district office across the country,” she stated.
Endorsed by His Majesty the King and announced in the Royal Gazette on September 24 last year, the bill positions Thailand as the third country or territory in Asia, following Taiwan and Nepal, to recognize same-sex marriage.
The legislation permits same-sex marriage, providing couples with equivalent legal rights to those of heterosexual couples.
Included among these rights are the abilities to adopt children, manage and inherit a spouse’s assets, divorce, access state welfare benefits if a spouse is a civil servant, and receive tax benefits.
The Thai LGBTQ+ community views this as a significant victory after advocating for their rights for over two decades, marking a substantial advancement toward equality in Thailand.
The Justice Ministry has also committed to reviewing additional legislation to ensure that same-sex couples are granted the same rights to family formation as heterosexual couples, which includes consideration of the surrogacy bill, nationalities bill, and gender recognition bill.
Couples aged 18 and older are eligible to register for marriage, though those under 20 must have parental approval.
The law employs gender-neutral terminology, referring to married couples as “two individuals” instead of “a man and a woman,” and substitutes “husband and wife” with “spouses.”
Bangkok Pride, along with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), is organizing a mass wedding event to coincide with the bill’s enactment, inviting same-sex couples from within Thailand and abroad.
The event aims to attract 1,448 same-sex couples, a number representing the sections of the Marriage Law in the Civil and Commercial Codes that were amended to facilitate same-sex marriage.
Dr. Wantanee Wattana, permanent secretary at the BMA, mentioned that all 50 districts in the capital have collaborated with DoPA to train officials on the new law.
She noted that the officials were educated to understand the same-sex marriage registration system and to approach sexual diversity with sensitivity.
Dr. Wantanee also recommended that same-sex couples pre-register at district offices for marriage to learn about necessary documentation.
The initiative for same-sex marriage was initially proposed in 2001 by then-interior minister Purachai Piamsomboon but was rejected by Thaksin Shinawatra, the prime minister at the time.
The proposal was revisited in 2019 under Prayut Chan-o-cha’s administration. Though the marriage equality legislation was initially approved, it was dropped when the parliament was dissolved.
The Lower House ultimately passed the Marriage Equality Bill on March 27, last year, followed by the Senate’s approval 84 days later.
