Beginning on January 23, same-sex organisations will begin.
According to government spokesperson Traisulee Taisaranakul, the marriage equality bill is set to go into effect in the next few days of the month.
The Department of Provincial Administration ( DoPA ) has updated its regulations to comply with the new law and has created new rules to facilitate registration work, according to Ms. Traisulee.
Additionally, the office updated its marriage registration forms and computer system to allow same-sex union registration as soon as the bill becomes law, she said on Friday.
” A test run was carried out next month, and it’s all ready. Same-sex couples may record their marriages at any neighborhood company across the country when the relationship equality law becomes effective on January 23,” she said.
Thailand is the next country or place in Asia, after Taiwan and Nepal, to recognize same-sex marriage, thanks to the bill’s support from His Majesty the King, which was published in the Royal Gazette on September 24, next year.
The law grants same-sex people the same legal rights as heterosexual couples and allows same-sex people to marry.
These rights include the ability to choose children, manage and gain their parent’s assets, the right to marriage, access to state security if their partner is a civil slave, and tax deductions.
After fighting for their freedom for more than 20 years, the Thai LGBTQ community views the new legislation as a significant action toward equality in Thailand.
The Justice Ministry anticipates that it will also examine other legislation that guarantees same-sex couples the same rights as heterosexual couples to start a family, such as the surrogacy act, the nationalities costs, and the gender identification costs.
People can register their union at the age of 18 or older. But, those under 20 require parental acceptance.
The law uses gender-neutral terms for married couples, referring to them as” two individuals” instead of” a man and a woman” and replacing “husband and wife” with” spouses”.
On the day the bill becomes law, Bangkok Pride and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration ( BMA ) intend to hold a mass wedding. The event is open to any same-sex couples who reside in Thailand or other countries.
The number representing the number of marriage laws in the Civil and Commercial Codes that were amended to help same-sex marriage is thought to be the cause of the event’s success, which will likely result in 1, 448 same-sex people registering.
All 50 towns in the capital worked closely with DoPA to make the authorities for the new legislation, according to Dr. Wantanee Wattana, everlasting director at the BMA.
She claimed that the authorities were given training to help them understand the same-sex marriage registration structure and be aware of the sensitivity required when addressing sexual diversity.
Dr. Wantanee even advised same-sex couples to pre-register for marriage register with the neighborhood office so they can find out more about the needed paperwork.
The effort to help same-sex marriage was first proposed in 2001 by then-interior chancellor Purachai Piamsomboon. Nevertheless, it was shot down by Thaksin Shinawatra, prime minister at the time.
The plan was revived in 2019 during Prayut Chan-o-cha’s leadership.
Legislation promoting wedding justice was approved, but it was eventually dropped as a result of the dissolution of parliament.
The Senate approved the Marriage Equality Bill 84 days later than the Lower House did, which was eventually passed on March 27, 2013.