Thailand’s lawmakers vote to approve marriage equality

Thailand’s House of Representatives on March 27 voted to approve a bill to legalize marriage equality, putting the country on the verge of becoming the third in Asia to extend marriage rights to LGBTQ couples.

Thai lawmakers voted 400-10, with some abstentions, to overwhelmingly approve the bill after months of negotiations to consolidate four different versions of the bill that were previously under consideration. The bill now heads to Thailand’s upper house, the Senate, which is widely expected to approve the measure, before getting the final stamp of approval from King Maha Vajiralongkorn.

Once finalized, Thailand would be the first country in Southeast Asia to gain marriage equality. Elsewhere in Asia, Taiwan and Nepal have approved marriage rights for LGBTQ individuals.

The new law would give couples in Thailand the right to marry regardless of gender after previously limiting marriage rights to a “husband” and a “wife.” However, while multiple news outlets are reporting that the law also includes adoption rights, some advocates are voicing skepticism and raising questions about the law.

Nada Chaiyajit, who teaches law at Mae Fah Luang University and is an LGBTQ advocate, told Reuters that advocates on the parliamentary committee sought to amend the law’s references to family by changing “mother” and “father” to “parent” in an effort to steer clear of any issues surrounding adoption. That did not happen.

“I’m happy indeed but this isn’t a full marriage equality, it is only same-sex marriage,” Chaiyajit said, according to Reuters. “The right to marriage has been granted but not the full right to family establishment.”