The development followed the nation’s Senate passing a
marriage equality bill on Tuesday, June 18.
Al Jazeera reports that the upper house gave a final
approval — by 130 votes to four, with 18 abstentions — allowing same-sex
couples to get married.
The new legislation is expected to go to King Maha
Vajiralongkorn for royal assent and come into force 120 days after publication
in the official Royal Gazette.
Thailand will become the third place in Asia where same-sex
couples have been legalised after Taiwan and Nepal although India came close in
October but the Supreme Court referred the decision back to parliament.
Aljazeera also reports that the new legislation changes
references to “men”, “women”, “husbands” and “wives” in marriage laws to
gender-neutral terms.
It also gives same-sex couples the same rights as
heterosexual ones when it comes to adoption and inheritance.