National —
Thailand’s Cabinet has greenlighted the Marriage Equality Bill to pave the way for the legalization of same-sex marriage.
Approved on November 21st, the draft bill, if mandated, will position Thailand as the third country in Southeast Asia to recognize same-sex unions after Taiwan and Nepal.
The bill is championed by the Move Forward Party, and it successfully cleared the first parliamentary reading hurdle last year. However, its progress was temporarily halted when the previous parliament was dissolved ahead of the May 2023 general election.
The Marriage Equality Bill is expected to be formally submitted during the upcoming Parliament session, slated to commence on December 12th, 2023.
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, has pledged his government’s commitment to advancing the bill alongside two other crucial pieces of legislation: a bill granting transgender individuals the right to alter their official gender markers and a bill to decriminalize prostitution.
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This article originally appeared on our sister website The Pattaya News.
