Thai lawmakers are set to approve changes regarding same-sex marriage, thus making Thailand the first country in South East Asia to guarantee equal marital rights, according to Bloomberg.
The bill proposes a fundamental change in the composition of marriage from “man and woman” to “two individuals,” as well as changing the official legal status from “husband and wife” to a sexless “married couple.”
Equally, the Bill seeks to guarantee lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) couples the same fundamental rights currently enjoyed by heterosexual couples under the civil and commercial code. The bill would grant them inheritance, tax exemptions and adoption of children, as well as other guaranteed rights.
The so-called “marriage equality bill” is one of the key promises of Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s administration, which took power in September 2023.
The committee approved the draft amendments to the country’s Civil and Commercial Code on 14 March, according to Mr Akaranun Khankittinan, vice-chairman of the committee. Lawmakers are now likely to pass the amended bill through the second and third readings on 27 March, he said.
After the bill passes through the lower house of parliament, it will have to receive final approval from the Senate and then royal assent before it can be enacted. The process is expected to be completed by the end of 2024.
The bill would be a step up from the Civil Unions Bill, which was passed by Thailand’s previous military-backed government and would have recognised same-sex civil partnerships in Thailand. The past bill would have given LGBTQ couples the right to adopt children, jointly manage assets and liabilities, and inherit property, but would not have legalised marriage.
