Thailand Considering Same-sex Civil Partnership Bill

The Thai Justice Ministry is currently considering legislation that would allow same-sex couples to enter into civil partnerships together, which would provide many of the rights, protections, and benefits of traditional marriage.

The ministry will finish vetting the bill by the end of September. If they okay it, the law will then go to the cabinet for approval before being submitted to the National Legislative Assembly.

As of now, the Civil Partnership Bill contains all the basic rights of same-sex marriages in other countries, but the legislation still has to go through a number of public hearings and revisions before being passed into law, which means the final bill could look a lot different and perhaps significantly watered down.

According to the current version of the proposed law, same-sex couples have a right to inherit assets and property after the death of their spouse, a right to tax reductions and welfare benefits, and the right to adopt children. But they are not allowed to use their spouse’s last name.

Proponents of the measure say its passage would be a major victory for human rights and family law in Thailand.

Read the full story here.