But in the 2019 election which returned Thailand to civilian rule, a new, youthful reformist party called Future Forward, which fully supported equal marriage, did unexpectedly well. They won the third-largest share of seats, revealing a growing hunger for change in Thailand.

Thailand on Thursday became the first country in Southeast Asia to hold legal same-sex weddings, with LGBT groups aiming to mark the occasion with more than 1,000 marriage registrations in a single day.

In the 2019 election which returned Thailand to civilian rule after five years under a military government, a new reformist party called Future Forward, which fully supported equal marriage, did unexpectedly well. They won the third-largest share of seats, revealing a growing hunger for change in Thailand.

Tommy Walker speaks to LGBT+ couples in Bangkok – many who have been together for decades – as the country’s historic marriage equality law comes into force

Thailand’s historic same-sex marriage equality law came into force on Thursday, making it the first country in Southeast Asia and third territory in

Hundreds of people began registering their marriages at a mall in Bangkok, as Thailand became one of the few places in Asia to legalize same-sex unions.

Hundreds of LGBT couples in Thailand are expected to make their wedded status legal on Thursday, the first day a law took effect granting them the

Last year, Thailand’s parliament passed its Marriage Equality Bill, making it the third country in Asia, after Taiwan and Nepal, to allow same-sex marriage. The bill was then signed into law by King Vajiralongkorn in September, and came into effect 120 days afterward.

The law became legal today, making Thailand the first Southeast Asian nation to allow same-sex weddings. In Asia, Taiwan and Nepal are the only other countries that have legalized marriage equality. Subscribe to our newsletter for a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.

“Equal marriage has truly become possible with the power of all,” said former Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, who was on hand for the mass wedding and was premier when the landmark legislation passed last year. 1,832 couples across the country registered marriages under the new law Thursday, according to the Thai Interior Ministry.

Hundreds of LGBTQ+ couples across Thailand were officially married in ceremonies large and small after a law recognizing marriage equality took effect on Thursday. Thailand is the first country in Southeast Asia and the third in Asia to recognize marriage equality.