Thailand - December 2023

On 21 December, Thailand’s parliament overwhelmingly endorsed the first reading of four draft bills aimed at establishing a legal framework for same-sex unions. The bill seeks to revise the Civil and Commercial Code by adopting more inclusive language, modifying existing definitions of marriage and replacing terms like “husband and wife” with gender-neutral terms. The proposed amendments would also grant LGBTQIA+ couples the same rights as their heterosexual counterparts, including adoption and inheritance rights. Subsequently, a committee will be formed to merge the four bills into one, ahead of further readings and necessary approval stages before becoming law. LGBTQIA+ rights advocates have welcomed the move, noting that if enacted and receiving royal assent, the bill could take effect as early as mid-2024.

Sources: Bangkok Post, The Diplomat, Nation Thailand, Amnesty International, Deutsche Welle