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Thailand beach town celebrates first day of marriage equality

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A happy couple poses with their flower boy / Courtesy of Dave Horn
A happy couple poses with their flower boy / Courtesy of Dave Horn

Dozens of Gay, Lesbian, and Trans couples flocked to the Bluport Mall in sunny Hua Hin, Thailand, on Thursday to register their unions and celebrate the first day of marriage equality in the Land of Smiles.

Thailand, long known as a welcoming destination for LGBT travelers from other lands, finally said "I do" to marriage equality on Thursday, January 23, after a long, multistep legal process.

"I never thought we'd be able to marry legally," said Pook, beaming at her new wife, Da. Together for 35 years, the women lived in Bangkok before retiring in recent years to the neighboring province of Phetchaburi. Pook and Da married in a traditional ceremony four years ago but still wanted the legal protections of spouses, including inheritance rights.

Pook and Da, together 35 years. / Courtesy of Dave Horn  

"We are so happy," gushed Ber, 22, moments after making it official with his handsome partner of two years, Dew, 25. The two grew up in other towns but now live in Hua Hin, a tourist-rich beach town of 60,000 on the Gulf of Thailand, a three-hour drive from Bangkok.

Dew and Ber, 25 and 22. / Courtesy of Dave Horn  

In Thailand, marriage becomes official not in a church or a courtroom but in a government office. Thursday, the provincial government and the local chamber of commerce took over the entire Hua Hin Convention Center, where couples registered their marriages with clerks and consulted with experts on the effects of legal marriage. On a nearby soundstage, Fluke, the lead singer of KnockDown Music, channeled Elvis with his smooth baritone rendition of "Fools Rush In."

Lead singer Fluke of KnockDown Music (a band) croons "Fools Rush In," the Elvis Presley song. / Courtesy of Dave Horn  

Two dozen sales reps staffed booths where hotels, restaurants, florists, and musicians offered wedding and honeymoon packages. Thitinan Sueathong, who goes by "Pooky," is the wedding sales manager at the Hua Hin Marriott. She and her colleague, Natt, handed out glossy brochures and sample menus. Has marriage equality brought them more business? "We hope it will," said Pooky.

Annie, marketing and sales manager for the Pranburi Cabana Resort, and her colleague Lek excitedly touted the beauty of their venue, just a 20-minute drive from Hua Hin. They offered their own glossy brochures and wedding packages, and pointed to their upcoming concert featuring Poo Blackhead, a Thai rock star and Gay icon.

Background

Business seems to have been the deciding factor in the Thai government's decision to legalize marriage equality. A recent government study estimated that marriage equality would pump the equivalent of US $2 billion into the Thai economy each year.

Socially more traditional than most Americans realize, Thais resisted recognizing Gay couples' unions for years until a new party promising marriage equality and led by a charismatic young man called Pita Limjaroenrat won a shocking plurality in the parliamentary elections in 2023. Unfortunately for Pita, he also promised to repeal the laws that strictly forbid criticizing the king. This angered most of the country — including, most importantly, the army — and led to his party being abolished and Pita himself being banned from politics.

But Pita's brief success made an impression, and the ruling Red Shirts and their co-rulers, the army, accepted that the advent of marriage equality was inevitable. The law finally passed last year and became effective on January 23 this year. Up in Bangkok, the capital, one hundred couples were joined in a mass wedding in the city center.

Later in the day in Hua Hin, dozens of newlyweds sat quietly and listened to speeches by officials ranging from the elegant, elderly governor to the soft-spoken mayor, who donned a rainbow tie for the occasion. The first 23 couples to register received prizes, including a trip on the Royal Blossom train, free luxury accommodations, and a gourmet dinner. They were polite and respectful of the politicians, as Thai people are, but you got the idea they really wanted to get home and start living their married lives.

Special thanks to Lek Wanamethin, who made this article possible by translating the interviews.

Lord Mayor Khun Jira Ponglaibul of Hua Hin District dons a rainbow tie for the occasion. / Courtesy of Dave Horn  

Couple at press interview. / Courtesy of Dave Horn  

Couple at the Hua Hin Convention Center. / Courtesy of Dave Horn  

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