In pictures: LGBTQ+ couples in Thailand register their marriages as law gives them equal status

Couples from the LGBTQ+ community parade to a hall after the Marriage Equality Act took effect in Bangkok, Thailand, Thursday, 23 January 2025. - Copyright Credit: AP Photo

By Theo Farrant & AP

Published on 23/01/2025 - 12:30 GMT+1

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Thailand has become the first Southeast Asian country to legalise same-sex marriage, with hundreds of LGBTQ+ couples registering their marriages under the new Marriage Equality Act.

It's a big and joyous day for LGBTQ+ couples in Thailand!

On Thursday they gained the legal right to register their marriages, making it the first country in Southeast Asia and the third place in Asia to recognise same-sex unions, after Taiwan and Nepal.

Love was in the air in central Bangkok, where a popular shopping mall held a daylong gala to help accommodate the hundreds of same-sex couples who wanted to register their marriages on the very first day.

Thailand has a reputation for acceptance and inclusivity but struggled for decades to pass a marriage equality law. Thai society has broadly conservative values, and members of the LGBTQ+ community say they face discrimination in everyday life, while also saying they've seen great improvement in recent years.