BANGKOK  –  Hundreds of same-sex couples are expected to tie the knot across Thailand on Thursday as the country becomes the first in Southeast Asia to recognize marriage equality. The landmark bill marks a momentous win for the LGBTQ+ community, which has fought for more than a decade for the same marriage rights as heterosexual couples. “This could be a model for the world because we now have Thailand as a model. There is true marriage equality in Thailand,” said Kittinun Daramadhaj, a lawyer and president of Rainbow Sky Association of Thailand, one of many who has been campaigning for equality.

Under the legislation, passed by Thailand’s parliament and endorsed by the king last year, same-sex couples will be able to register their marriages with full legal, financial, and medical rights, as well as adoption and inheritance rights. Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra hailed the country’s success at an event last week, when she invited dozens of LGBTQ+ couples and activists to the government’s offices. “This demonstrates that Thailand is ready to embrace diversity and accept love in all its forms. Today shows that our country is open and accepting,” she said. Celebrations will take place on Thursday in other parts of the country stretching from the eastern coastal city of Pattaya to the mountainous northern city of Chiang Mai.

In downtown Bangkok, at least 200 couples have signed up to get married in a mass wedding at a popular shopping mall, according to Bangkok Pride, which co-organized the event with local authorities. Rainbow flags are expected to ripple through the heart of Bangkok, with a “pride carpet” to be rolled out at a celebration to welcome the newlyweds, and performances by celebrities and drag queens. For some, such as Nina Chetniphat Chuadkhunthod, who will attend the mass celebration at the Siam Paragon shopping mall, the day feels long overdue. The transgender woman has not been able to marry her boyfriend of 22 years because she is unable to legally change her gender identity. But with same-sex marriage now being recognized, they can tie the knot. “I feel like, wow, my dream is close to coming true,” the 42-year-old told CNN during a recent interview. Chuadkhunthod and her fiancée held their wedding party three weeks ago. At a wedding hall on the outskirts of Bangkok, the couple walked down the aisle in locked arms, as bridesmaids sprinkled their path with rose petals amid cheers from friends and relatives. They plan to register their marriage on Thursday. “I felt the proudest moment of my life that I could do this and let people know, let the industry and friends around me know that I could do it,” she said. One factor adding particular urgency for the couple is the 7-year-old girl they have been raising as their daughter for three years. The girl is the daughter of Chuadkhunthod’s uncle, who is unable to look after her. They plan to adopt the girl and live a life as a family, but cannot do so without a valid marriage. “I had tears flowing from my eyes when we were thinking about our lives (without the same-sex marriage law). What if … I, or he, or even my daughter fell ill, who would look after us?” she said. But now, she said: “I can confidently say that I can do it, building a family of my own.”

Philippine national Ana Boncan met her Thai girlfriend Siri Wattanavikij through a dating app six years ago when she was working in Europe. In 2020, Boncan moved to Bangkok to be with her. “With this opportunity to get legally married here in Thailand, it gives us the opportunity to have a marriage visa,” Boncan said. One thing on the couple’s mind is the possibility of one of them falling ill, and the other being barred from visiting or making life-and-death decisions due to the lack of a marriage certificate. “When we go to the hospital, I can tell them that this is my wife, this is my partner, she makes decisions for me, things like that. Unlike before, they wouldn’t accept it in the hospital,” Boncan said. (CNN/AFP)