Thai king signs same-sex marriage into law

BANGKOK: The Thai king has signed same-sex marriage into law, the official Royal Gazette announced on Tuesday (Sep 24), making Thailand the first country in Southeast Asia and the biggest place in Asia to recognise marriage equality.

King Maha Vajiralongkorn gave royal assent to the new law, passed by parliament in June, which will take effect in 120 days - meaning the first weddings are expected to take place in January.

Thailand becomes only the third place in Asia where same-sex couples can tie the knot, after Taiwan and Nepal.

The law on marriage now uses gender-neutral terms in place of "men", "women", "husbands" and "wives", and also grants adoption and inheritance rights to same-sex couples.

The king's formal approval marks the culmination of years of campaigning and thwarted attempts to pass equal marriage laws.

Thailand has long had an international reputation for tolerance of the LGBTQ community, and opinion polls reported in local media have shown overwhelming public support for equal marriage.

However, much of the Buddhist-majority kingdom still retains traditional and conservative values and LGBTQ people say they still face barriers and discrimination in everyday life.