EXPATS CELEBRATE: Same Sex Marriage Begins 22 January 2025

BANGKOK - Sept. 25, 2024 - PRLog -- What Happened?
On June 18 of this year, the Thai Parliament passed a sweeping law authorizing same-sex marriage.  Now, King Maha Vaijiralongkorn has signed the legislation, which will come into effect in 120 days - January 22, 2025

The crafting and passage of a same-sex marriage bill was a major undertaking, since Thailand still has laws that treat men and women differently.  As a first step, in 2018 a Thai court ordered that same-sex marriages and civil unions performed abroad be recognized in Thailand for the purpose of property law.

Marriage in Thailand is entirely a civil affair. There is no difference between a civil union and a "marriage" - there is just "registration" at the local district office.  Although Thailand has been an accepting and popular country for same-sex couples, same-sex couples were not legally allowed to register. A lack of registration creates frequent difficulties for families with inheritance, health care management, child custody, adoption, taxation and immigration.

What Happens Next?
It is now the job of the relevant ministries and bureaucracies to craft procedures and regulations to implement the new law.  Some commentators have observed that 120 days may be insufficient to work out the implementation, especially with respect to immigration.

What Should Expats Do?
Foreigners in Thailand will have to "wait and see" as various departments craft  procedures for the local district offices, and as the immigration department revises its regulations.  Currently, the procedure for a non-citizen and a Thai person to get married is similar to those in which both partners are Thai, but it is not identical.  It remains to be seen if there will be  changes to the existing procedures for foreigners at district offices and in immigration.  So, it is important to keep informed.
On October 20, YouTube channel @LetsLiveinThailand is releasing a video explaining Thai marriage law and procedures.  @LetsLiveinThailand will release a video explaining same-sex marriage procedures as soon as regulations are finalized and made public.
Readers should subscribe to the channel to be informed as soon as the videos are released, by visiting:
http://youtube.com/@letsliveinthailand

Same-sex marriage has been a long time coming to Thailand.  Now that it has, Thailand can take its deserved place as a leader in gender equality in Asia.