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.

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.

Thursday, January 23 marks a major milestone for LGBTQ+ people in Thailand – as same sex marriage will finally become legal. It’s a historic moment, not just for Thailand, as it becomes the first country south east Asia to recognise 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.

Thai society has long been seen as accepting of gender-fluid identities and relationships, but matching legal structures were absent

This Thursday, a new law will take effect in Thailand, granting LGBTQ+ couples the legal right to marry and enjoy the same legal privileges as heterosexual couples. The couple eagerly anticipates formalizing their marriage, planning to register it at their local district office on the first day the law comes into effect.

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.