Thailand's Constitutional Court ruled a law that defines marriage as between a man and a woman in the country is constitutional, The Washington Blade reported.
The Foundation for Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Rights and Justice, a Thai advocacy group, filed a lawsuit that challenged Section 1448 of the country's Civil and Commercial Code, which does not extend marriage rights to same-sex couples. Bloomberg said the Constitutional Court in its ruling said Thai lawmakers "should draft laws that guarantee the rights for gender-diverse people."
In 2019, Taiwan became the first Asian country to grant marriage equality.
Meanwhile, Switzerland has gone in the opposite direction from Thailand.
Same-sex couples can wed in the European country from July 1, 2022, the government said, enacting the results of a groundbreaking referendum on the issue in September, according to Reuters.
Voters approved the "Marriage for All" initiative by a nearly two-thirds majority, making Switzerland one of the last countries in Western Europe to legalize same-sex marriage.
In a two-stage process, same-sex couples who have married abroad will have their status recognized starting in January. Previously, the couples were seen as registered partnerships in Switzerland.
