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.

Earlier this month, the couple celebrated a lavish wedding with around a thousand guests and today, they will finally make their marriage official, as Thailand becomes the first country in South-East Asia to legalise same-sex marriage. Legal recognition has been a long-time coming for same-sex couples in Thailand. (ABC News: Lauren Day)

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.

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.

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.