Thai lawmakers passed a bill guaranteeing marriage equality on Tuesday, putting the country on a clear path to becoming the first country in Southeast Asia to legalize same-sex marriage.
Thailand's Senate passed the bill on Tuesday afternoon with 130 votes in favor and four against, with some abstentions. The bill was approved by the lower house in March. It must now be reviewed by a Senate committee and the Constitutional Court before becoming law and receiving royal assent, a process that is widely expected to be approved.
“We've been trying for 20 years to legalize this issue, and finally love has won,” activist Praifa Kyoka Shodrat, 18, said on the Senate floor after the vote.
The bill's passage underlines Thailand's position as a relative safe haven for same-sex couples in Asia – only Taiwan and Nepal have legalised same-sex marriage.
India came close to legalizing same-sex marriage last year, but the Supreme Court left the decision to Parliament. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is strongly opposed to legalizing same-sex marriage.
Same-sex sexual activity is a crime in several Asian countries. Indonesia, where same-sex marriage is illegal, made sex outside marriage illegal in 2022. In 2019, Brunei made same-sex sex punishable by death by stoning, before later announcing it would not carry out the death penalty after widespread international outcry.
After the bill was passed, supporters celebrated the milestone with flags and colorful balloons, and a pride rally featuring a drag show began in central Bangkok. Prime Minister Suretta Tavishin said he would host a celebration for activists on Tuesday night but said he was unable to attend the event because of his COVID-19 infection.
Advocates such as Mukdapa Yanyuenpradorn, an activist with Southeast Asia-based human rights group Fortify Rights, also urged authorities to implement the law swiftly once it comes into force 120 days after royal assent.
Critics such as Senator General Woraphon Sanga Nate said legalizing same-sex marriage would undermine the family institution and create logistical challenges for the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The proposed amendments to Thailand's civil and commercial code define marriage as a partnership between two people over the age of 18, without specifying gender, and give LGBTQ couples equal rights to adopt children, apply for tax breaks, inherit property and consent to medical procedures if one partner becomes incapacitated.
The bill has been controversial since the first version was introduced more than two decades ago. Thailand is one of the world's most open countries to same-sex couples but socially conservative in other respects. In February, lawmakers rejected a proposal to allow gender changes on official documents.
But the vast majority of Thais support the bill: A Pew Research Center survey last year found that 60% of Thai adults support legalizing same-sex marriage.
Lynn Gillenuwat Contributed report.