Thailand Ushers Southeast Asia’s First Same-Sex Marriages

Hundreds of LGBTQ couples on Thursday became legally married in Thailand, which celebrates a historic day as the first nation in Southeast Asia to guarantee equal marital rights for same-sex couples.

Rainbow colors were everywhere in an exhibition hall atop a luxurious mall in the capital Bangkok, where the first couples inked their signatures on government documents officially proclaiming them spouses on Thursday. Pride flags and other items were handed out to couples and guests, while confetti littered the floor as people celebrated winning marriage equality.

“We were so excited that we couldn’t sleep last night,” said Phisit Sirihirunchai, a 36-year-old police officer who met his now-spouse Chanathip, 42, on TikTok six years ago when he advertised a puppy for sale. “The law used to see us as friends, but now it recognizes us. We don’t have to worry so much about the future.”

From Thursday, any couple aged 18 or above can register a marriage regardless of their gender, under a marriage equality law passed last year.

That marks a hard-won victory for LGBTQ activists, who fought for over a decade for the same marriage recognition as heterosexual couples. They now have equal rights to inherit each other’s assets, sign medical consent forms, and jointly adopt children, among others.

Around the country, 50 district offices in the capital and almost 900 sub-districts elsewhere have opened their doors, with registrars officializing marriage certificates for hundreds, if not thousands, of LGBTQ couples.

It’s a major step forward for Thailand, which has long been considered an LGBTQ-friendly country, with relaxed attitudes towards gender diversity and legislation protecting LGBTQ people from most kinds of discrimination since 2015.

“By working towards a society where all love is equal, and every individual can live with pride and dignity, Thailand has sent a powerful message to the world: no one is left behind in love,” said Michaela Friberg-Storey, the UN Resident Coordinator in the country. “This serves as a meaningful step and offering a roadmap for other nations in the region and beyond.”

The predominantly Buddhist kingdom is only the third place in Asia, after Taiwan and Nepal, to guarantee marriage equality. The move makes Thailand an outlier in Southeast Asia, where some countries still prosecute homosexuality and the LGBTQ community often faces discrimination.

“I congratulate all Thais, because from now, every love will be supported by the law, and every couple will be able to live with dignity and pride,” Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said in a recorded video message. “The rainbow flag is proudly flying over Thailand.”

The vital tourism industry, which accounts for about 12% of Thailand’s $500 billion economy, should indeed get a boost from “rainbow tourism.” The same-sex marriage law may attract four million more foreign visitors into Thailand annually, and generate about $2 billion in revenue within the next two years, according to a recent study commissioned by travel platform Agoda, part of US-headquartered Booking Holdings Inc.

Agoda this month also launched a campaign for same-sex couples in Thailand to share their love stories on social media for a chance to win a holiday voucher worth up to 350,000 baht ($10,320).

Other companies have rolled out out similar incentive programs to show their support for the country’s same-sex marriage milestone. Earlier this week, real estate developer Sansiri Pcl. and Siam Commercial Bank, the country’s third biggest lender by total assets, announced a mortgage scheme with special interest rates for newly-married LGBTQ couples looking to take out a joint loan on a Sansiri property.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand has also partnered with several businesses across the country to offer special events, tour packages, and hotel and restaurant deals for LGBTQ couples to celebrate their unions in the coming weeks.

And across the globe, consular officers will be ready to register same-sex unions in 94 Thai consulates or embassies, according to the government.

“This legislation not only is a testament to our social advancements, but also will be one of the accelerators of economic growth and tourism development,” said Thapanee Kiatphaibool, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, adding that LGBTQ tourists tend to spend 40% more than an average foreign traveler.

Author: Patpicha Tanakasempipat

Original article published by Bloomberg