Thailand, one of the hot favourites of Indian tourists, has legalised same-sex marriage. On January 23, the same-sex marriage law will take effect and hundreds of such marriages are set to be fromalised across the country on the first day.
Political support has been a key aspect of the marriage equality movement. The same-sex marriage legislation was supported by the government and major opposition parties when it was introduced to the National Assembly in November 2023. It was passed by both houses of the assembly by a huge margin. The Marriage Equality Act received royal assent from King Vajiralongkorn four months ago. Polling suggests that a majority of Thai people support the legal recognition of same-sex marriage.
Thailand is the third country in Asia, after Nepal and Taiwan, to legalise same-sex marriage.
The new law will allow any two individuals who are 18 years old or older to register their marriage and receive the same benefits and rights as heterosexual couples. But parents' and/or guardians' consent will still be required if the applicants are younger than 20.
Thailand is famously open to and accepting of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people. They have long been visible in all walks of life. Thai people are easygoing about pretty much everything. "Mai pen rai" – no big deal – is a national catchphrase. Buddhist beliefs, followed by more than 90% of Thais, don't forbid LGBT lifestyles.
For all of Thailand's general tolerance of LGBT people, getting equal rights, including marriage, required a determined campaign to change attitudes in Thai officialdom and society, a BBC report noted. However, attitudes have changed considerably.
The way LGBT characters are portrayed in Thai TV dramas, from comical oddities to mainstream roles, made a big difference, a Thai academic pointed out. The so-called Boy Love dramas have helped bring the rest of society round to the idea of not just tolerance, but full acceptance and equal rights for the community.
These romantic television dramas featuring love affairs between beautiful young men have grown enormously in popularity over the past decade, especially during the Covid pandemic.
They are now one of Thailand's most successful cultural exports, with huge audiences in places like China. Series like My School President and Love Sick have got hundreds of millions of views on streaming networks.
At the same time, activists became more focused and united in their bid to get the law changed. The many different LGBT groups came together in the Change 1448 campaign – 1448 is the clause in the Thai Civil Code covering the definition of marriage – and later under the Rainbow Coalition for Marriage Equality.
They linked up with other groups fighting for greater rights and freedoms in Thailand, and they learned to work with political parties in parliament to persuade them to change their stance on the law.
The resumption of Pride marches in 2022, and getting the government to recognise and promote the appeal of Thailand as an attractive destination for LGBT travellers also helped change public perceptions.
Getting the equal marriage law through parliament was also helped by political developments in Thailand. For five years following a coup in 2014, the country was ruled by a conservative military government, which was willing only to consider recognising civil partnerships for LGBT couples, without full rights like inheritance.
But in the 2019 election which returned Thailand to civilian rule, a new, youthful reformist party called Future Forward, which fully supported equal marriage, did unexpectedly well. They won the third-largest share of seats, revealing a growing hunger for change in Thailand.
Thailand is one of the few places in Asia, along with Taiwan and Nepal, that has an equal marriage law. Even in democracies like Japan and South Korea – where political parties are largely conservative and dominated by older men -- the prospects look bleak.
India appeared close to legalising same-sex marriage in 2023, when the decision fell to its Supreme Court - but the judges declined, saying it was up to Parliament.
So Thailand hopes to benefit from being a pioneer in allowing gay rights and same-sex marriage. Tourism is one of the few areas of the Thai economy doing well in the post-pandemic recovery, and the country is seen as a safe and welcoming destination for LGBT holiday-makers.
Growing numbers of same-sex couples from other Asian countries are choosing to live here now. The legal recognition they can get for their marriages will allow them to raise children and grow old together with nearly all the rights and protections given to heterosexual couples.
Thailand has emerged as one of the hot favorites of Indian tourists in recent years, thanks to its relatively free lifestyle, beautiful beaches, and culinary options. Last year Indians made up the third largest number of tourists.
