Mass same-sex weddings in Jan 2025

More than 1,000 same-sex couples will marry on Jan 22 next year, the day the Marriage Equality Bill will officially be written into law, following 120 days after its publication in the Royal Gazette.
Thailand will become the first nation in Southeast Asia and one of 37 countries worldwide to legalise same-sex marriage.
“This law is a monumental step towards equal rights in Thailand,” said Waaddao Anne Chumaporn, founder of Bangkok Pride and a former member of the Marriage Equality Bill committee.
Bangkok Pride will work with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration to organise a mass wedding on Jan 22, 2025. The goal is to have 1,448 same-sex couples participate, symbolising the number of sections of the Marriage Law in the Civil and Commercial Codes that have been amended to support same-sex marriage, she said.
The event is open to any same-sex couples residing in Thailand or abroad, she added.
“The preparation for the marriage ceremony and registration for LGBTQ+ couples is about 50% complete. So far, 183 couples have registered to join us. We also encourage communities in other provinces to organise similar mass weddings with marriage registration, just as we are doing in Bangkok,” she said.
The law allows same-sex couples to marry and grants them the same legal rights as heterosexual couples. These rights include the ability to adopt children, manage and inherit their spouse’s assets, the right to divorce, access to state welfare if their spouse is a civil servant, and tax deductions.
Couples can register their marriage at 18 years old or above. However, those under 20 require parental consent. The law uses gender-neutral terms for married couples, referring to them as “two individuals” instead of “a man and a woman,” and replaces “husband and wife” with “spouses.”
Jirayu Huangsab, an adviser to the prime minister, urged civil servants to familiarise themselves with the law during the next four months before it comes into effect. “The act reflects efforts to promote fairness and equality,” he said.