section_path: Legality of same-sex sexual activity
section_name: Legality of same-sex sexual activity
paragraph_text: Legality of same-sex sexual activity
  
  Private, adult, consensual, and non-commercial sodomy was decriminalized in Thailand in 1956. However, same-sex attraction and transgender identities were still seen as socially unacceptable in many cases: those whose gender expression or behavior falls out of social norms are less likely to be tolerated or accepted. Through the Penal Code Amendment Act of 1997 (Thai: พระราชบัญญัติแก้ไขเพิ่มเติมประมวลกฎหมายอาญา-(ฉบับที่-14)-พ.ศ.-2540), the age of consent was set at fifteen years regardless of gender or sexual orientation. In 2002, the Ministry of Health announced that homosexuality would no longer be regarded as a mental illness or disorder. In 2007, the Thai Government expanded the definition of a sexual assault and rape victim to include both women and men. The government also prohibited marital rape, with the law stipulating that women or men can be victims.
  
  Thailand has officially legalized same-sex marriage, becoming the first Southeast Asian nation to do so after King Maha Vajiralongkorn approved the bill on 24 September 2024. The law, effective in 120 days, grants same-sex couples full legal rights, marking a significant milestone for LGBTQ+ rights in the region.