Thai LGBTQ+ couples register marriages after new law legalizing them

BANGKOK (AP) – Hundreds of LGBTQ+ couples in Thailand made Thursday a life-changing event, legally registering their marriage on the first day a law came into force granting them the same rights as heterosexual couples.

The enactment of the marriage equality law makes Thailand the leading country in Southeast Asia and the third country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage, after Taiwan and Nepal.

By the end of Thursday, some 1,832 same-sex couples had married nationwide, according to the Provincial Administration Department. More than 1,000 people registered at district offices, while 185 couples registered their union at a one-day gala at a shopping mall in central Bangkok.

The couples included actors Apiwat “Porsch” Apiwatsayree and Sappanyoo “Arm'” Panatkool, who tied the knot at the Phra Nakorn district office in Bangkok.

“We can love, we love equally, legally,” Sappanyoo said.

“And we can build our family in our own way because I believe that any type of love, any type of family is beautiful just the way it is,” said her partner Apiwat.

They then posed on an office terrace, smiling and waving while clutching a bouquet of flowers.

Similar sentiments were expressed at the mass event in the mall, where same-sex couple Pisit Sirihirunchai, 36, a police officer, and her partner Chanatip Sirihirunchai, 42, registered.

“Don’t put a limit just because they’re the same gender or whatever. Love is a beautiful thing. We should not stop them,” Pisit said.

“I want same-sex marriage law to be available in all countries where there are LGBTQ+ couples,” Chanatip added.

Activists had said they hoped at least 1,448 same-sex marriages would take place nationwide on Thursday, in a nod to Article 1448 of the Civil and Commercial Code, which they had successfully lobbied for. it be amended.

Thailand’s Marriage Equality Bill, which was passed by both houses of Parliament, amended Article 1448 to replace the words “man and wife” and “husband and wife” with “individuals” and ” marriage partners.” It aims to grant full legal, financial and medical rights to LGBTQ+ couples.

Partners will have equal rights and responsibilities with respect to joint assets, tax obligations and deductions, inheritance taxes and survivor benefits.

At Siam Paragon Mall, former Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin led a parade of newlyweds on a rainbow-colored carpet outside the exhibition hall.

Current Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra addressed the crowd via video message, saying: “From now on, all love will be certified by law. All couples will live with honor and dignity in Thailand.

Srettha, under whose government the ruling Pheu Thai party introduced the new law, made a more specific and timely comment, evidently referring to US President Donald Trump’s inauguration speech on Monday, in which he said the official policy of his government would be “that there are only two sexesmale and female. »

Although he did not mention Trump by name, Srettha said “the new leader of a powerful country” had clearly announced that there were only two sexes in his country.

Drawing a stark comparison between this “powerful country” and Thailand’s mid-sized population and smaller economy, he said: “I believe our hearts are bigger. »

Thailand has a reputation for acceptance and inclusiveness, and thousands of people from all over the world attend the annual meeting Bangkok Pride Parade. But rights advocates have fought for decades to pass a marriage equality law in a largely conservative society where members of the LGBTQ+ community say they face discrimination in daily life, even as they note that Things have improved considerably in recent years.

Bangkok Municipality said it organized workshops for district office staff responsible for marriage registration. They included talks raising awareness of gender diversity and advice on how to properly communicate with those who come to attend the service. The Home Office has proposed similar guidance.

“It’s like a missing piece of the puzzle,” Bangkok Deputy Governor Sanon Wangsrangboon said during one of the workshops earlier this month. “The company is ready. The law is being prepared. But the last piece of the puzzle lies in understanding those responsible.”

About three dozen countries around the world have legalized some form of same-sex marriage, more than half of them in Europe. In Taiwan, which in 2019 was the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage, 526 people registered on the first day, according to the government’s Household Registration Department.