Thailand has taken a historic step closer to marriage equality after the lower house passed a bill giving legal recognition to same-sex marriage.
It still needs approval from the Senate and royal endorsement to become law.
But it is widely expected to happen by the end of 2024, making Thailand the only South East Asian country to recognise same-sex unions.
It will cement Thailand's reputation as a relative haven for LGBTQ+ couples in a region where such attitudes are rare.
"This is the beginning of equality. It's not a universal cure to every problem but it's the first step towards equality," Danuphorn Punnakanta, an MP and chairman of the lower house's committee on marriage equality, told parliament while presenting a draft of the bill. "This law wants to return these rights to this group of people, not grant them the rights."
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