Thailand becomes first Southeast Asian nation to legalise same-sex marriage

Thailand became the first Southeast Asian country to legalize same-sex marriage on January 23, 2025. Over 200 couples registered to marry at an event organized by Bangkok Pride. The law, passed in 2024, grants same-sex couples full legal, financial, medical, adoption, and inheritance rights. Prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra celebrated the historic achievement, acknowledging the LGBTQ+ community's decades-long fight for equality and marking a new era of gender diversity awareness in Thailand.