Hundreds of LGBTQ+ couples married in Thailand Thursday as the kingdom became the third place in Asia to legalize same-sex unions. The decision carries serious economic potential in that country.
The new law came into effect on Thursday, following only Taiwan and Nepal in Asia. It also makes Thailand the first Southeast Asian nation to recognize same-sex marriage, in a region of several Muslim-majority nations where homosexuality is outlawed on religious grounds.
Now, in an administrative change that carries major consequences, the word “spouse” replaces “husband” and “wife” in statutes, unlocking access for same-sex couples to practical benefits previously only enjoyed by heterosexual marriages.
Those include the ability to adopt children, take out joint mortgages, pass on property after death, benefit from next-of-kin status and receive state benefits - as well as crucial medical rights to give consent on behalf of their partners in an emergency.
Across the country, from Krabi in the south to Chiang Mai in the north, couples married in registration ceremonies that ranged from intimate at local government offices to a mass wedding at a downtown shopping mall in Bangkok.
Thai national Rittigiat Subma married his Chinese partner, Xichen Lin, in Bang Rak district, Bangkok’s most popular district for marriage. Pride rainbow flags and umbrellas hung above the offices, while a three-piece band provided the soundtrack to the weddings.
“I’m so happy. It’s long overdue,” Rittigiat told VOA. “My partner and I can now take a loan together to buy a house, we can access other equal benefits and make big medical decisions for one another.”
“I can get a spouse visa after we register our marriage here and move to Australia with him for his work.”
Proudly holding the red-bound marriage certificate book, his spouse, Xichen Lin. said the pair - who are both 27 and work for tech firms - knew they wanted to get married within weeks of meeting each other.
“Had this bill not been passed there wouldn’t be a relationship for us, because one of the premises of our relationship is that we’re going to have a future.” With no legal possibilities for gay couples in China where same-sex marriage is illegal, he said Thai law has unlocked that possibility.
“We are able to live a normal life now just like a regular couple; we can tell the others that we are married … we can share assets and represent each other in legal circumstances.”
Despite the joy and celebration, there were notes of caution from LGBTQ+ advocates who say their equality efforts continue beyond the same-sex bill.
“The law may take effect today but that doesn’t mean discrimination against LGBTQ+ community has changed overnight,” said Tunyawaj Kamolwongwat, a lawmaker for the progressive People’s Party, and a key driver of the law change.
“There is a long journey ahead of us with other laws needing to catch up … now we have to follow up on an array of issues including pregnancy through assisted reproductive technologies, [and] foreign citizenship for LGBTQ+ partners ...”
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has reaped the political dividends from the legal change, which follows years of delayed efforts to get same-sex marriage codified.
“With the power of love by all of you, today Thailand marks a historic day in making the world know that we embrace every kind of love, every gender that is a fundamental part of democracy,” Paetongtarn, now at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, said in a prerecorded video message.
There are also big hopes for an economic bounce, with companies from insurance and mortgages to hotels keen to cash in on the so-called pink baht.
Paetongtarn’s government has put same-sex marriages under the kingdom’s "soft power" drive - alongside Thai pop music and movies - sensing an economic opportunity from a reputation for openness and hosting weddings and honeymoons in one of the world’s top tourist destinations.
A study by travel platform Agoda said that Thailand’s marriage equality legislation is set to deliver an additional 4 million international visitors per year and increase tourism revenue by nearly $2 billion annually – within two years after it is enacted.
Thai official data says around 9% of the population - or 4.4 million people - identify as LGBTQ+, representing a domestic marriage market of around $50 million.
Dujruedee Thaithumnus, a wedding consultant on the tourist haven of Koh Samui in the Gulf of Thailand, said the island was ready for the inflow of couples.
“It will boost the economy of the entire island … from musicians who play at weddings, to make-up artists and flower shops to photographers and hotels. The island is already packed as it is. I can’t imagine after the law change is official.”
