How Thailand’s same-sex marriage law could impact South East Asia

Thailand has become the first country in South East Asia to legalise same-sex marriage. The new law means that LGBTQ+ couples will have the same legal rights as other couples when it comes to adoption, inheritance and medical decisions. It’s taken activists years of campaigning to get to this point, and in September 2024 Thailand's king signed it into law. It will come into force in January 2025. BBC Thai journalist Panisa Aemocha, in Bangkok, explains the same-sex marriage legalisation in Thailand and attitudes towards LGBTQ+ in the country. This includes how Thailand has embraced boy love (BL) and girl love (GL) TV series - which show same-sex couples. We also hear from Best Chitsanupong Nithiwana, an activist who co-founded the Young Pride Club in Chiang Mai, who tells us what this new law means for same-sex couples in Thailand. And we ask, could other nearby countries do the same?Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mora Morrison, Benita Barden and Julia Ross-Roy Video producer: Baldeep Chahal Editor: Verity Wilde