Prime minister also pledges to push for passage of marriage equality law
PUBLISHED : 26 Oct 2023 at 18:38
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has pledged to push for the passage of three bills, including a draft law on “marriage equality”, says a government spokesman.
The bills are due to be deliberated by the cabinet on Tuesday and will subsequently be forwarded to parliament.
The marriage equality bill aims to amend the Civil and Commercial Code to allow anyone of a suitable age to register their marriage regardless of their gender. The current code only recognises marriage between a man and a woman.
The second bill would allow transgender people to amend their gender marker in their official identity documents.
The third bill would legalise prostitution by amending the 1996 Act on illegal prostitution suppression and prevention.
Mr Srettha has affirmed that the government is committed to pushing to pass all three laws and is ready to negotiate with all relevant organisations in support of them, government spokesman Chai Wacharonke said on Thursday.
Mr Srettha chaired a meeting on the bills on Thursday, held in response to a new petition by a group of 36 civic organisations fighting for gender equality.
The premier also promised to place the three bills high on the meeting agenda of the House of Representatives, which is expected to begin deliberating them by early December, said Mr Chai.
“The PM has assured us that the government supports and will push for marriage equality and other related laws,” said the spokesman. “It now looks set to negotiate with all other organisations concerned in order to [literally] tear down the wall [of inequality].”
One concern raised by Mr Srettha at Thursday’s meeting was that the government would have to also speed up replacing military conscription with voluntary recruitment so that those who change their gender marker from female to male won’t have to face forced conscription, said Mr Chai.
Mr Srettha also relayed the government’s support for a proposal that Thailand host Bangkok World Pride 2028, demonstrating to the rest of the world Thailand’s open-mindedness while stimulating the economy.