Heavy air pollution of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in harmful level shrouds the surroundings of the large Buddha statue of Wat Paknam Bhasi Charoen temple in Bangkok, Thailand, 12 December 2023. Authorities cautioned that the PM2.5 levels in various locations, including Bangkok and other provinces in Thailand, would surpass the health safety threshold of 37.5 microns. The situation was expected to worsen by 17 December. EPA-EFE/NARONG SANGNAK 
The new bill, which is expected to be considered by the parliament on Dec. 21, will give LGBTQ couples the same rights as heterosexual couples and strengthen diversity in Thai society, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin told reporters in Bangkok on Tuesday.
The marriage-equality bill is set to go a step further than the previous government’s civil union bill, which sought to recognize same-sex civil partnerships in Thailand. That bill would have allowed LGBTQ couples the right to adopt children, jointly manage assets and liabilities, and inherit properties, while stopping short of legalizing marriage. The bill failed to secure parliament nod as it was dissolved by then-prime minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha ahead of elections in May.
Only two places in Asia — Taiwan and Nepal — currently recognize same-sex marriage, among fewer than 40 countries worldwide.