On March 27, Thailand's parliament approved a marriage-equality bill by an overwhelmingly large margina landmark step that moves one of Asia's most liberal countries closer to legalizing same-sex unions, media outlets reported.
The measure, which was more than a decade in the making, had the backing of all of the country's major parties, per Reuters.
However, in order to become law, the bill still needs approval from the Senate and King Maha Vajiralongkorn. From there, it needs to be published in the Royal Gazette, per France24.
The proposal will change references to "men," "women," "husbands" and "wives" in the marriage law to gender-neutral terms. It also means LGBTQ+ couples will be able to enjoy inheritance and adoption rights in the kingdom for the first time.
Across Asia, only Taiwan and Nepal recognize same-sex marriage; India's highest court deferried the decision to parliament in October.
Andrew Davis