Celebration and a mass wedding in Thailand as same-sex marriage law takes effect

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration said it had organized workshops and lectures for all officials in charge of handling marriage registration to raise awareness and offer guidance on appropriate communication.

Robert Conner, a Thai American public relations executive based in Washington, said he hoped the law would spread awareness among neighboring countries and even inspire them to follow Thailand’s example.

“Even if these other countries don’t follow Thailand’s example of marriage equality, they can at least consider decriminalizing same-sex activities,” said Conner, 27, who was born and raised in Phuket. 

There is also hope that it will benefit Thailand’s tourism-dependent economy, encouraging LGBT travelers from the United States and elsewhere to consider Thailand as a place to visit and even as a wedding destination.

But there is still room for improvement, Conner said, noting that changes to legal language around marriage did not extend to family law.

“This means that with some same-sex couples, there can be cases where one parent has no legal protection or no legal connection to their own child,” he said. 

It was still a huge leap forward for couples who have waited years for this moment. 

“I have counted down the date since the day the law passed for today,” said Pisit Sirihirunchai, a police officer who married his partner Chanatip Sirihirunchai.

Thanomkhet, who is transgender, said he knew since he was 9 years old that he wanted to be a man. He said his father discouraged him and also disapproved of Klinthaworn, who is a single mother with an 18-year-old son. 

Years of campaigning in Thailand has helped change his father’s mind, Thanomkhet said.

“He doesn’t say he’s happy, but we can see from his action that he is now open about us,” he said.

Even though Anticha Sangchai and Vorawan Ramwan, a lesbian couple, formally got married Thursday, they have considered themselves married for nearly three years since they walked together in their wedding dresses in a 2022 pride parade in Bangkok.

“We celebrated our couple, our marriage with our community. It was very exciting. But it was not legal,” Sangchai said.

“Today is very different,” she said, adding she was “shocked” that the day had finally arrived.

It’s not just in Bangkok where couples are rushing to get their marriages legally recognized.