Thailand Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage, Effective January 2025
King Maha Vajiralongkorn's endorsement makes Thailand the first Asian country to recognize marriage equality.
- The new law allows same-sex couples to legally marry and will take effect on January 22, 2025.
- Thailand becomes the third place in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage, following Taiwan and Nepal.
- The legislation grants full legal, financial, medical, adoption, and inheritance rights to same-sex couples.
- Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and LGBTQ+ activists celebrated the law as a historic step towards equality.
- The law replaces gender-specific terms with gender-neutral language in the Civil and Commercial Code.