Thailand Headline News Agency Report: On March 27, the Thai House of Representatives conducted the second and third readings of the draft Marriage Equality Act. The results of the session showed that the draft was passed with 400 votes in favor, 10 against, and 2 abstentions. Next, the Special Committee responsible for drafting the bill will submit it to the Senate for further consideration.
Dhanuporn, chair of the committee overseeing the bill, stated, “This law is the starting point for creating equality. We all understand that this law is not a panacea, but at least it is a small beginning—the first step toward creating equality in Thai society. We will become the third country in Asia and the first in Southeast Asia to legalize same-sex marriage, which makes us proud on the world stage.“Today’s Thailand recognizes the importance of addressing social inequality and gender inequality.”
The second and third readings of the bill took place after the Special Committee reviewed all four bills passed by the House of Representatives in the first reading (including the bill proposed by the Forward Party, the bill proposed by the Democrat Party, the Public Ministry’s bill, and the Cabinet’s bill), with the Cabinet’s bill serving as the primary reference.
Additionally, to comply with the Convention on the Rights of the Child, adjustments were made on key issues, such as raising the legal minimum age for marriage from 17 to 18. However, the House of Representatives voted in accordance with a majority committee resolution to retain the old provision, allowing children under the statutory marriage age to marry under special and reasonable circumstances.
(Translated by Ji Shuxin, 4.0 Translation Workshop; Edited by Wan; Source: Today)
Reviewer: News Editorial Department - Robin Source: Jian Nan Comrade Aggregator