2025 has been an eventful year in Thailand: a year of changes political watershed moments, from new laws coming into effect to a border war. Here we look back at the year through the lens of our photographers.

Last year, Thailand passed the Marriage Equality Act, which made it the first Southeast Asian country to legalise marriage for all. However, writes political science graduate student and former activist Ford (Tattep) Ruangprapaikitseree, this does not mean it is a free country.

After the Marriage Equality Act came into effect on 23 January, Thailand became the first Southeast Asian country, and the second in Asia after Taiwan, to legalize marriage registration regardless of gender. While marriage equality marks a positive development for Thailand, there is still a long road ahead, including making sure LGBT police and military officers can express their identities and be considered for career advancement.

The UN Human Rights Office for Southeast Asia said that it welcomes the enactment of the historic Marriage Equality Act, which provide equal recognition of marriage for LGBTQ couples, and encouraged the Thai government to further advance gender equality by passing a gender recognition law and an anti-discrimination law.

The Marriage Equality Act, which was signed into law in September 2024, will become effective on 23 January, opening the door for Thai LGBTQ couples to legally register their marriages.

The Marriage Equality Act, which amends sections of the Civil and Commercial Code concerning marriage and family to allow marriage registration regardless of gender, has been signed into law.

The Thai Senate voted 130 to 4, with 18 abstentions, to approve a bill amending sections of the Civil and Commercial Code concerning marriage and family to allow marriage registration regardless of gender, making Thailand the first country in Southeast Asia to legalise marriage for LGBTQ people.

As the Thai Senate will be holding an ad-hoc session on 18 June to vote on the Marriage Equality bill, Fortify Rights calls on the Senate to approve the bill, which would allow marriage registration regardless of gender and make Thailand the first Southeast Asian nation to legalize marriage for LGBTI+ couples.

The Thai Senate on Tuesday (2 April) voted 147 to 4 to approve the Marriage Equality bill in its first Senate reading.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) calls on the Thai Senate to promptly pass the Marriage Equality bill, which was approved by an overwhelming majority in the House of Representatives yesterday (27 March), noting that passing the bill is an opportunity for Thailand to match its positive global reputation on LGBT rights with tangible legal protections.

The Thai parliament yesterday (27 March) voted 399 to 10 to approve the Marriage Equality bill at the final reading, paving the way for Thailand to become the first country in Southeast Asia to recognize marriage for all. At the same time, the use of gendered language in the bill leads to the concern that some rights will remain limited for LGBTQ people.

Tomorrow (27 March), the marriage equality bill will return to parliament for its second and third readings. Meanwhile, the human rights organization Fortify Rights has called on parliament to ensure that the bill provides equal rights to LGBTQ people.