Hundreds of same-sex couples are expected to tie the knot across Thailand on Thursday as the country becomes the first in Southeast Asia to recognize marriage equality.

Hundreds of LGBTQ+ couples in Thailand are expected to tie the knot on Thursday as a new law legalizing same-sex marriage goes into effect in the Southeast Asian nation. Thailand joins Taiwan and Nepal among countries recognizing same-sex unions in Asia.

On Thursday, Joe and Mate will tie the knot in central Bangkok, joining roughly 200 couples in a joyful mass-wedding that marks a seismic shift in Thailand. After decades of campaigning and countless setbacks, the country is becoming the first in southeast Asia – and only the second in Asia after Taiwan – to introduce full marriage equality.

It's a big week for LGBTQ+ couples in Thailand. On Thursday, they will be able to legally register their marriages, making it only the third place in Asia, after Taiwan and Nepal, where they have such a right.

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The Marriage Equality Act received endorsement from His Majesty the King and was published in the Royal Gazette on September 24, positioning Thailand as the third Asian country or territory, following Taiwan and Nepal, to recognise same-sex marriage, reported Bangkok Post.

LGBTQ+ couples and activists have gathered in Thailand’s capital, Bangkok, to celebrate ahead of the country’s first same-sex weddings on Thursday (23 January). Last June, Thailand became the first country in Southeast Asia to legalise gay marriage.