Thailand passes bill to legalize same-sex marriage (full text)

Thailand's cabinet approves bill to legalize same-sex marriage

The Thai cabinet approved a bill on the 8th to allow same-sex couples to register their marriages and agreed to amend relevant laws to ensure that same-sex spouses have the same rights as heterosexual spouses.

Ratchada Dhnadirek, deputy spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office, said that the cabinet meeting that day approved the draft Civil Partnership Law and agreed to revise the related provisions in the Civil and Commercial Code of Thailand. The core of the Civil Partnership Act is to ensure that people with different sexual orientations can enjoy equal protection and be free from discrimination.

Under the bill, same-sex couples aged 17 or above and where one or both parties are Thai nationals can voluntarily register their marriage. Same-sex spouses have the same legal rights as married husbands and wives, including separate and community property.

Minors can register as same-sex spouses, but they must obtain prior consent from their parents, guardians or the court. Once the registration is completed, underage same-sex spouses will be treated as adult spouses.

Same-sex couples can adopt children. When one spouse dies, the other spouse has the same inheritance rights as a traditional married couple under the Civil and Commercial Code. In addition, the provisions of the Civil and Commercial Code regarding spouses, family and children also apply to same-sex spouses.

As for the revised Civil and Commercial Code, it will stipulate that a man and a woman cannot register for marriage if one of them has a legally recognized same-sex partner; if one of the spouses has a same-sex partner, it can be used as grounds for divorce proceedings; and the party who receives alimony after divorce will no longer receive alimony if they have a new spouse or partner.

The above-mentioned bills and amendments to related laws will be promulgated and implemented after being submitted to the Thai Parliament for approval.