Thailand holds its first same-sex weddings, targets record registrations

An LBGTQ+ couple, Pawan Iamwet, 35, and Kamonchanok Chumruan, 38, pose for a picture as they wait to receive official marriage certificates, as the country's marriage equality bill comes into effect following a royal endorsement which effectively makes Thailand Asia's third territory to legalise same-sex unions, in Bangkok, Thailand, January 23, 2025. REUTERS/Chalinee Thirasupa

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand on Thursday became the first country in Southeast Asia to hold legal same-sex weddings, with LGBT groups aiming to mark the occasion with more than 1,000 marriage registrations in a single day.

After decades of campaigning by activists, Thailand is the third territory in Asia to legalise same-sex marriages after Taiwan and Nepal, with a new marriage equality law coming into effect on Thursday