Thailand to legalise same-sex marriage

• Thailand is set to become the 1st nation in Southeast Asia to legalize same-sex marriage.
• The Thai bill amends the Civil and Commercial Code of the country and proposes replacing gendered terms like “husband and wife” with gender-neutral language such as “spouses” and “individuals”

ABOUT SAME SEX MARRIAGE:

• Several countries in Asia criminalise lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people —Myanmar, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Palestine, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and Malaysia all criminalise some form of same-sex activities, according to United Kingdom-based registered charity Human Dignity Trust.
• On October 17, 2023, the Supreme Court of India had refused to grant legal recognition to same-sex marriages in the country.
• 1st Asian country to legalise same-sex marriage – Taiwan (2019).
• 1st South Asian country to legalise same-sex marriage – Nepal (2023).

ABOUT THAILAND

• Thailand is located in the middle of southeast Asia.
• A unified Thai kingdom was established in the mid-14th century. Known originally as Siam, the country was renamed Thailand (Land of the Free) in 1939.
• Thailand’s population is currently 70 million, its capital city is Bangkok, its currency is the baht (THB), and the official language is