As the new parliament opens its first session, human rights organization Fortify Rights call on the new cabinet to urgently reintroduce the marriage equality bill to protect LGBTQ rights, noting that marriage equality is among the 23 key issues mentioned in the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the 8 parties in the government coalition.

While women have long been considered “ornamental,” with the media and the public mainly focusing on their looks or how they dress and act, LGBTQ representation is nearly non-existent. They are subject to the same fate and even worse. A watershed moment for the community came in the last election when 3 self-identified LGBTQ people won MP seats.

The organizers of the Bangkok Pride have announced that they will be bidding to host World Pride in 2028 -- a move supported by both the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and the Move Forward party, who won first place in the 2023 General election. For gender equality activist Chumaporn Taengkliang, founder of Naruemit Pride, the bid to host World Pride is the next step on the road to equality for the Thai LGBTQ community.

Thailand is a common destination for large numbers of migrant workers, especially from neighbouring countries like Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia. Among them are many LGBTQ who came to Thailand to escape harassment and prosecution in their own country, but found themselves faced with gender-based discrimination and unsafe work environments in Thaioand. No policies have been implemented for their protection.

LGBTQ rights activists went to parliament yesterday (8 September) to file an open letter calling for parliament to pass the Marriage Equality bill in its second and third readings.