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.

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,

The new law allows couples aged 18 or above to marry regardless of their gender, and access to medical, inheritance and property rights.