According to Thai media news, recently, Mr. Pu Pong, director of the Trade Policy and Strategy Office of the Ministry of Commerce of Thailand, revealed that since March this year, the lower house and the upper house of Thailand have successively passed the first trial of the draft of the "Marriage Equality Law", making Thailand expected to become the 37th country in the world and the first country in the ASEAN region to have a marriage equality law.
Puphong said that in addition to helping to improve gender equality in Thailand, the marriage equality law can also bring economic benefits, especially in various areas of the service industry. At the same time, the bill will also help to create jobs in related industries, bringing the number of jobs to 45,000, and in turn, leading to the development of industries such as hotels and wedding-related industries, including wedding dress rentals, photography studios, etc., and the marriage equality law will increase the demand for wedding celebrations.
According to a well-known wedding planning service company in Thailand, the number of wedding bookings will increase in the future, and the LGBTQIA+ community will account for 25%. According to data from a multinational market research and consulting firm, 9% of people in Thailand say they belong to this group. Therefore, Thailand should seize the opportunity to strive to become a wedding hub for all genders in Asia, which, together with the abundance of tourist attractions, will help generate a lot of revenue for Thailand.
He further said that if Thailand's marriage equality law covers allowing foreigners to come and register their marriages, the government must consider the convenience, especially the documentation, visas and processing time. At the same time, it is also necessary to support companies to provide standard and high-quality wedding services, create a good impression and experience for foreign couples, and promote Thailand as a popular wedding destination for LGBTQIA+ couples.
For Thailand's tourism and catering businesses, the Marriage Equality Act will help attract specific groups, especially LGBTQIA+ people, to hospitable destinations like Thailand. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, LGBTQIA+ tourists account for 10% of global travelers and travel expenses account for 16% or about US$1.95 billion per year. Therefore, having supportive laws and a friendly social environment that is accepted and respected by this group will make them feel safe and willing to travel to Thailand.