LGBT Rights in Bangkok Metropolitan Administration

Bangkok is governed by federal Thailand law. Learn more
    Homosexuality
    ✔ Legal
    Gay Marriage
    ✖ Banned
    Censorship
    ✔ No censorship
    Changing Gender
    ✖ Illegal
    Gender-Affirming Care
    ✔ Legal
    Non-Binary Gender Recognition
    ✖ Not legally recognized
    Discrimination
    ✔ Illegal
    Employment Discrimination
    ✔ Sexual orientation and gender identity
    Housing Discrimination
    ✔ Sexual orientation and gender identity
    Adoption
    ✖ Illegal
    Intersex Infant Surgery
    ✖ Not banned
    Military
    ✔ Legal
    Donating Blood
    ✖ Banned (indefinite deferral)
    Conversion Therapy
    ✖ Not banned
    Age of Consent
    ✔ Equal
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Public Opinion

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History

Homosexual activity in Bangkok

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Homosexual activity in Bangkok is legal.

Current status
Since Jan 1, 1956
Legal
Thailand decriminalized sodomy in 1956.
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Same-sex marriage in Bangkok

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Same-sex marriage in Bangkok is banned.

A new law will be going into effect in 1 month.
Going into effect Jan 22, 2025
Legal under federal Thailand law
On September 24th, 2024, Thailand’s king signed a bill that legalizes same-sex marriage, and it was posted in the royal gazette. The bill becomes law 120 days after receiving royal assent, which is January 22nd, 2025. The bill also grants same-sex couples the same rights in areas including child adoption, healthcare consent, and inheritance.
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Current status
Jan 1, 1925–Jan 21, 2025
Banned
Currently, same-sex marriage is banned in Thailand under Section 1448 in the Civil and Commerce code. Part of the section reads: “A marriage can take place only when the man and woman have completed their seventeenth year of age.” This implies that marriage is only possible between a man and a woman. There is currently a bill that is aiming to redefine marriage to terms without gender references.
On March 27th, 2024, the Thailand parliament voted on that bill which legalizes same-sex marriage, and it passed. It was then sent to the Thailand Senate, and it passed there on June 18th, 2024, with a 130 to 4 vote with 18 abstaining. The bill was then given royal approval and publishing in the Royal Gazette.

Censorship of LGBT issues in Bangkok

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Censorship of LGBT issues in Bangkok is no censorship.

Current status
No censorship
In Thailand, there are no laws restricting the discussion or promotion of LGBTQ+ topics.
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Right to change legal gender in Bangkok

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Right to change legal gender in Bangkok is illegal.

Current status
Illegal
Sex reassignment surgery is legal in Thailand, however, Thai law does not allow for gender to be changed on legal documents such as birth certificates.

Gender-affirming care in Bangkok

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Gender-affirming care in Bangkok is legal.

Current status
Since Jan 1, 1994
Legal under federal Thailand law
In 1994, Thailand adopted the ICD-10 classification, which contains codes for diagnosing transsexualism in adulthood and childhood, which authorize the initiation of medical transition.
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Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Bangkok

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Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Bangkok is not legally recognized.

Current status
Not legally recognized
Thailand doesn't allow changing legal gender.
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LGBT discrimination in Bangkok

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LGBT discrimination in Bangkok is illegal.

Current status
Since Sep 9, 2015
Illegal
The Gender Equality Act B.E. 2558 was passed on March 13th, 2015, and came into effect on September 9th, 2015. The act bans discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
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Until Sep 9, 2015
No protections
Before the Gender Equality Act B.E. 2558 was passed, there were no laws protecting a persons sexual orientation or gender identity from discrimination.
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LGBT employment discrimination in Bangkok

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LGBT employment discrimination in Bangkok is sexual orientation and gender identity.

Current status
Since Jan 26, 2015
Sexual orientation and gender identity
Under Thailand Criminal Code.
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LGBT housing discrimination in Bangkok

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LGBT housing discrimination in Bangkok is sexual orientation and gender identity.

Current status
Since Jan 26, 2015
Sexual orientation and gender identity
Under the revision of Thailand Criminal Code.
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Same-sex adoption in Bangkok

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Same-sex adoption in Bangkok is illegal.

A new law will be going into effect in 1 month.
Going into effect Jan 22, 2025
Legal under federal Thailand law
On September 24th, 2024, Thailand’s king signed a bill that legalizes adoption for same-sex couples, and the bill was posted in the royal gazette. The bill becomes law 120 days after receiving royal assent, which is January 22nd, 2025.
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Current status
Until Jan 22, 2025
Illegal
Adoption is only allowed for married couples, and same-sex marriage isn't allowed either. Therefore, gay people can’t adopt in Thailand.
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Intersex infant surgery in Bangkok

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Intersex infant surgery in Bangkok is not banned.

Current status
Not banned
Not criminalized.
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Serving openly in military in Bangkok

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Serving openly in military in Bangkok is legal.

Current status
Since Jan 1, 2005
Legal
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Illegal
Between 1954 and 2005 homosexuality was considered a mental disorder and gay men were prohibited from serving.
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Blood donations by MSMs in Bangkok

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Blood donations by MSMs in Bangkok is banned (indefinite deferral).

Current status
Since 1977
Banned (indefinite deferral)
Date shown is when US banned gay male blood donations.
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Conversion therapy in Bangkok

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Conversion therapy in Bangkok is not banned.

Current status
Not banned
In Thailand, conversion therapy is not banned, and there are reports of involuntary and coercive practices targeting LGBTQI+ individuals. According to a 2022 Human Rights report by the United States Department of State, Thai government agencies have been accused of forcing conversion therapy on LGBTQI+ people, especially children and juveniles. Marriage Equality Network reports that conversion therapy is usually forced onto individuals by their family or religious communities.

Individuals born male have been forced into military training or monkhood, and some individuals born female have experienced "corrective" rape or forced childbirth.

Intersex Thailand reports that some intersex people were forced into irreversible nonconsensual genital surgeries.
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Equal age of consent in Bangkok

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Equal age of consent in Bangkok is equal.

Current status
Since 1997
Equal
The age of consent in Thailand is 15 regardless of gender or sexual orientation.