Thailand’s marriage equality laws come into force on Thursday, with hundreds of couples set to tie the knot in mass weddings in Bangkok

Tawach Chaweewong gets goosebumps just thinking about his upcoming wedding to his partner of almost eight years, Thanakorn Srikornthai. It will not only be a joyful celebration on a personal level, but also a historic occasion.

Thailand’s LGBTQ+ community has fought for decades for the right to equal marriage and, finally, on Thursday 878 district offices across the country will open their doors to same-sex couples to register and get married. It will make Thailand the first country in south-east Asia to recognise equal marriage, and only the third in Asia, behind Taiwan and Nepal.