LGBTQ couples in Thailand to soon have equal legal rights in marriage
The Cabinet on Tuesday endorsed a bill amending the Civil and Commercial Code, so same-sex couples can marry and have the same legal protections and privileges as straight couples.
Deputy government spokesman Karom Polpornklang said the amendment bill proposed by the Justice Ministry seeks to allow same-sex marriage with full legal rights. It will also allow members of the LGBTQ community to build families and ensure both spouses have equal rights.
Karom said the bill’s main principle is to remove the terms “men”, “women”, “wives” and “husbands” from the civil code.
The terms will be changed to “persons”, “fiancées”, “engaged couples” and “married couples”, so men can marry men and women can marry women and have the same rights as male-female unions.
The deputy spokesman said the Cabinet has also called on the Council of State to amend other laws accordingly, so the surviving spouse in a same-sex marriage is entitled to receive the inheritance left behind by their partner.
The Council of State has also been tasked with scrutinising the same-sex marriage bill, and once that is done it will be submitted to the House, Karom said.
Government spokesman Chai Wacharonke said the amendment bill would be different from the Life Partnership Act that was enacted by the last government.
He said this act simply endorses the rights for same-sex couples to spend their lives together but does not provide full legal marital rights.
