Thailand has approved same-sex marriage, making it the first country in Southeast Asia to do so.
This decision came after the nation’s Senate passed a marriage equality bill on Tuesday, June 18. According to Al Jazeera, the upper house approved the bill with 130 votes in favor, four against, and 18 abstentions, allowing same-sex couples to marry.
The legislation will be sent to King Maha Vajiralongkorn for royal assent and will come into effect 120 days after being published in the official Royal Gazette.
With this move, Thailand will become the third place in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage, following Taiwan and Nepal, although India nearly achieved this in October before the Supreme Court referred the decision back to parliament.
Al Jazeera also reports that the new law changes references to “men,” “women,” “husbands,” and “wives” in marriage laws to gender-neutral terms. It also grants same-sex couples the same rights as heterosexual couples concerning adoption and inheritance.