But in the 2019 election which returned Thailand to civilian rule, a new, youthful reformist party called Future Forward, which fully supported equal marriage, did unexpectedly well. They won the third-largest share of seats, revealing a growing hunger for change in Thailand.

Couples across Thailand celebrate legalisation of same-sex marriage, with hundreds tying the knot on the landmark first day

Hundreds of same-sex couples are tying the knot across Thailand on Thursday as the country becomes the first in Southeast Asia to recognize marriage equality.

“Equal marriage has truly become possible with the power of all,” said former Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, who was on hand for the mass wedding and was premier when the landmark legislation passed last year. 1,832 couples across the country registered marriages under the new law Thursday, according to the Thai Interior Ministry.

Almost 2,000 same-sex and transgender couples married in Thailand on Thursday as the kingdom's equal marriage law went into effect in a first for Southeast Asia. The milestone sees Thailand become by far the biggest nation in Asia to recognise equal marriage,