"In short: Thailand's Senate has approved a bill legalising same sex marriage in the South-East Asian country.
It will afford same-sex couples practical benefits such as being able to have children through IVF and make emergency medical decisions for their spouse.
What's next? The first weddings may take place later this year, 120 days after the law is announced in the Royal Gazette.
Thailand has become the first nation in South-East Asia to legalise same sex marriage, with the country's Senate approving the landmark bill this afternoon.
The legislation was expected to pass after it cleared the country's House of Representatives in a near-unanimous vote in March.
Despite Thailand's bustling gay bars and prominent transgender community making it a mecca for LGBTQ+ tourists, until now local same-sex couples there have been unable to marry.
The law will take effect 120 days after its announcement in the Royal Gazette, so the first same sex weddings may take place later this year.
Couples who have been waiting years have hailed the move as a historic moment that will afford them rights only reserved for spouses.
A Lifechanging Law
Photos of Anticha and Worawan [including the article picture], dressed in floor-length white gowns and trailed by rainbow flags, getting married at Bangkok's first Pride Festival two years ago went viral, but they are still not legally married.
Now they will be able to change that, and Anticha Sangchai is elated.
"This will change my life and change many Thai people's lives, especially in the LGBT community," she said.
"It is a historical moment and I really want to join with my community to celebrate this moment.
"I want to send a message to the world that Thailand has changed. Even though there are still many issues, this is a big step for us." ...
There were an estimated 3.7 million LGBT people in Thailand in 2022, according to LGBT Capital, a private company which models economic data pertaining to the community around the world.
For the young couple from Bangkok, being able to marry also has very real practical implications.
If they want to have children through IVF, Ms Sangchai says they will need a marriage certificate first.
"I am quite concerned about the time because we are getting older every day, and the older you get the more difficult it is to have a healthy pregnancy," she said.
"So we've been really wanting this law to pass as soon as possible."
Cabaret performer Jena is excited Thailand's laws are finally catching up with the nation's image...
She too had worried about the practical implications of being unable to marry.
"For example, if myself or my partner had to go to hospital or there was an accident that needs consent for an emergency operation, without a marriage certificate we couldn't sign it," she said.
She now wants the government to move forward with a law to allow transgender people to amend their gender on official documents." ...
An Economic Boost?
Thailand has long been famous for LGBTQ tourism and there are now hopes this new law could allow the country to cash in on the aging members of the community.
Chaiwat Songsiriphan, who runs a health clinic for people in the LGBTQ community, said laws preventing same sex marriage were the last barrier holding the country back from becoming a gay retirement hub.
[Note: They do not just mean for rich westerners; Thailand as a gay retirement hub would probably appeal most to and definitely benefit LGBTQ people from throughout Asia.]
"Thailand has an LGBTQ-friendly environment since Thai culture is quite flexible," he said.
"One of my foreigner friends, a gay friend, told me that when he's in his country he has to pretend to be straight … but when he comes to Bangkok he said you can be as gay as you want.
"When we talk about retirement or a long-term stay for the rest of their lives, what people need is … food, good healthcare services, transportation, homes.
"I think Thailand has it all at a very affordable price."
He said it could help give the country a desperately needed economic boost.
"This will have a lot of benefits for Thailand's economy because when we talk about retirement it's people literally bringing all the money they have earned for the rest of their working lives to spend and invest here," he said.
He said he, like the rest of the community, was thrilled by the news.
"It's not about a privilege, it's just equality," he said.
"We are we also humans, so we should be able to marry the one we love.""
-via ABC Australia, June 18, 2024
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