BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand’s Senate on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a marriage equality bill. This clears the final legal hurdle to make the country the first in Southeast Asia to implement such a law.
The bill was finally read with the approval of 130 of the 152 members of the Senate present, of which 4 voted against and 18 abstained.
The bill now needs the pro forma approval of King Maha Vajiralongkorn, followed by publication in the Government Gazette, where a date for it to come into force will be set within 120 days.
Thailand becomes the third place in Asia to allow same-sex marriage after Taiwan and Nepal. The marriage equality bill, which grants full legal, financial and medical rights to spouses of either gender, passed the House of Representatives just before the previous parliamentary session closed in April with the approval of 400 of the 415 members present.
The timing of the Senate vote on Tuesday, the first day of the current parliamentary session, suggested the urgency to get the bill passed. The legislation will amend the country’s Civil and Commercial Code to replace gender-specific words such as “men and women” with gender-neutral words such as “individual.”
But it was not approved without problems. One Senate member, retired army general Worapong San-nganet, argued that the gender-specific terms should still be included in the law, along with the gender-neutral terms. He said excluding them would seriously “undermine the institution of the family” in Thailand.
The government, which was confident of the bill’s passage, announced a few days ago that it would host a celebration of the occasion at Government House later Tuesday.
The passing of the law is a “triumph for justice and human rights,” said Mookdapa Yangyuenpradorn of the human rights organization Fortify Rights.
“The Thai government must now focus on ensuring the swift and effective implementation of this law to protect LGBTI+ rights,” she said. “Marriage equality is fundamental to human dignity, and it is essential that Thailand protects these rights without delay or discrimination.”
Thailand has a reputation for acceptance and inclusivity, but has struggled for decades to pass a marriage equality law. Thai society largely holds conservative values, and members of the LGBTQ+ community say they face discrimination in everyday life.
The government and government agencies have also historically been conservative, and gender equality advocates have struggled to get lawmakers and officials to accept changes.
The government led by the Pheu Thai Party, which took office last year, has made marriage equality one of its main goals. It has made a major effort to identify itself with the annual Bangkok Pride parade earlier this month, which saw thousands of people celebrating in one of Bangkok’s busiest commercial districts.
