BANGKOK — Thailand marked a historic milestone as 1,832 same-sex couples registered their marriages nationwide on January 23, 2025, the first day of the Marriage Equality Act implementation. According to Naruemit Pride Co., Ltd., organizers of Bangkok Pride, the registrations included 616 male couples, 1,216 female couples, and 960 male-female couples. Bangkok alone recorded 654 registrations across its districts.
At Siam Paragon’s Marriage Equality Day celebration, 185 couples registered their marriages. The event attracted LGBTQ+ couples, Thai celebrities, and diplomatic representatives, including officials from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, representing Taiwan, Asia’s first territory to legalize marriage equality.
Thailand has become the third place in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage, after Taiwan (2019) and Nepal (2023), and the first in Southeast Asia. The Marriage Equality Act took effect on January 23, 2025, allowing LGBTQ+ couples to register their marriages with full legal rights and protections.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, attending the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, sent a video message celebrating this milestone. She thanked former PM Srettha Thavisin, parliament members from both government and opposition parties, senators, media, and LGBTQ+ activists for their contributions to passing the law.
Former PM Srettha Thavisin, speaking at the event, emphasized Thailand’s inclusivity, contrasting it with recent statements from another country’s leader who recognized only two genders. He noted that despite Thailand’s smaller economy, its “heart is bigger.” He also apologized to an elderly couple, aged 63 and 78, acknowledging the long wait for marriage equality, stating “Better late than never.”
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt pledged continued support for the law’s implementation and celebrated Thailand’s diversity.
The UN Human Rights Office for South-East Asia welcomed the act, which ensures equal rights for all couples regardless of gender identity and sexual orientation, including medical care, property, inheritance, taxation, and adoption rights.
The law also raises the legal marriage age to eighteen, aligning with the Convention on the Rights of the Child. While celebrating this progress, the UN encouraged Thailand to further advance equality through anti-discrimination and gender recognition legislation, noting that LGBTI+ individuals still face discrimination in employment, education, and healthcare.
Ploynapat Jirasukorn, 33, and Kwanporn Kongphet, 32, who became the first same-sex couple to register their marriage in Bangkok stated that they aim to advocate for expanded LGBTQ+ rights, including adoption and title prefix options that are not yet fully covered under current legislation.
Source: https://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/2025/01/24/thailand-celebrates-first-day-of-marriage-equality-with-1832-couple-registers/
