Thailand begins to recognize same-sex marriage

Twelve years ago, the Thai couple went to the registry office to take part in a mass wedding ceremony on Valentine’s Day in Bangkok. Rungtiwa Thangkanopast wore a long white dress and her partner, Phanlavee Chongtangsattam, a black tuxedo.

The authorities welcomed them. But when they arrived at the clerk’s office and presented their ID cards, which indicated they were women, they were turned away. Marriage between two women, they were told, was not permitted.

On Thursday, the couple finally got the chance to tie the knot under Thailand’s new law allowing same-sex marriages. They joined hundreds of others for a mass wedding ceremony in Bangkok as the law came into force.

“I am delighted and excited because we have been waiting for this day for a very long time,” Ms Rungtiwa said. “For 20 years we have loved each other and had to hide from society’s disapproval. But now we can be proud.

The mass wedding ceremony began in the morning at Paragon Hall, an events and convention center located in one of Bangkok’s largest shopping malls, Siam Paragon. It was organized by a rights group, Naruemit Pride, whose name roughly translates to create pride.