Thailand introduces marriage for same-sex couples. To achieve this, the country also wants to delete terms such as “wife” and “husband” from the legal code.
Thailand could soon become the third country in Asia to allow same-sex marriages. The cabinet of new Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin approved a corresponding bill on Wednesday, Thai media reported. This stipulates that homosexual couples enjoy the same legal protection and benefits after marriage as heterosexual couples.
Terms such as “men”, “women”, “wives” and “husbands” should be deleted from the Civil Code and replaced with words such as “persons”, “fiancées” and “married couples”, said deputy government spokesman Karom Polpornklang. The parliamentary debate on this is scheduled to begin in December.
Similar draft laws are to follow
Until now, there was a civil partnership law in Thailand, but it did not include full legal marriage rights. In Asia, only Taiwan and Nepal currently allow marriage for everyone. It has been approved in Germany since 2017.
The government in Bangkok, which has only been in office since September, also announced a possible bill that would allow transgender Thais to change their official gender registration. There will also be a bill to decriminalize prostitution. The country is considered extremely open to transgender and homosexual people and is already one of the most popular travel destinations for queer tourists from all over the world.
