PHUKET, Thailand — Thailand‘s milestone Gay marriage bill has been approved by the monarchy, making it the first country in Southeast Asia and the third country in Asia to recognize same-sex marriage.
The bill, which required the king’s approval Maha Vajiralongkornwas officially signed into law on Tuesday night when it was published in the Royal Gazette. It will come into force in 120 days, allowing LGBTQ couples to register their marriages from 22 January.
The law, which amends the country’s Civil and Commercial Code to use gender-neutral words such as “individual” instead of “men and women,” was overwhelmingly approved by lawmakers this year. It gives married couples full legal, financial and medical rights, regardless of gender.
“Congratulations on everyone’s love,” the prime minister said Paetongtarn-Shinawatra said in a post on X with the hashtag #LoveWins.
Thailand is one of Asia’s most popular tourist destinations and is known for its tolerance and vibrant LGBTQ social scene. At the same time, conservative social values still exist, which has made it a struggle for activists to get the law passed for years.
Taiwan was the first place in Asia to allow same-sex marriage in 2019, followed last year by the South Asian country NepalTaiwan, an autonomous democracy that claims Beijing as its territory, said last week that Taiwanese Chinese couples can now legally register their inter-country marriages on the island.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com