The year began with a bang when the Marriage Equality Act came into effect, allowing same-sex couples to register their union for the first time in Southeast Asia.
But there remains legal confusion and impediments to establishing diverse forms of families.
Meanwhile, campaigns for the Gender Recognition Bill kicked off, though with a faint chance of success in the very near future.
Still, the LGBTI community had much to celebrate this year. A rollout of more inclusive policies from gender-affirming hormone therapy to more research on this population group were signs of progress.
Here are stories that had the biggest impact.
Marriage equality
Thailand is the first country in the region to endorse marriage equality. Since it took effect in January, more than 24,500 people have already registered their union nationwide, according to the Bureau of Registration Administration. The total number of registrants topped out in Bangkok (around 6,100), followed by Chon Buri, Chiang Mai, Nonthaburi and Samut Prakan.
The Marriage Equality Act is an amendment of the Civil and Commercial Code’s Article 1448, replacing “husband and wife” and “man and woman” with gender-neutral terms, such as “spouse” and “person”, to allow anyone to marry. LGBTI couples are expected to enjoy the same rights as heterosexual counterparts.
In response, government agencies are bound to amend relevant laws within 180 days. However, nationality and surrogacy laws are two exceptions that still contain gender-specific terms. Responsibility falls on the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Public Health to revise. Although this time frame ended in July, tangible change has not yet materialised.
Under the Nationality Act of 1965, only a foreign woman who marries a Thai man can obtain Thai citizenship. Under the Protection for Children Born through Assisted Reproductive Technologies Act of 2015, only a husband and a wife with fertility problems have access to surrogacy. Critics say these hurdles should be removed to allow for diverse forms of families.
Questions also arise over whether the same-sex marriage law applies to non-Thais. If a Thai marries a foreigner, or if two foreigners wish to marry here, non-Thais must demonstrate certificates as stipulated by the Department of Provincial Administration. Foreigners can tie the knot here, and symbolically, even if the same law is not available in their home countries.
