An upcoming amendment to Thailand’s constitution will bring legal recognition for a third gender. Though Thailand is widely known for its queer and trans subcultures, the country’s laws haven’t been the most inclusive.
Kamnoon Sittisamarn, a representative for the Thai Constitutional Drafting Committee explained that the legal changes were designed to ensure broader protections for Thailand’s substantial trans-identified and gender queer population.
"We are putting the words 'third gender' in the constitution because Thai society has advanced," Sittisamarn said to Reuters. "There are not only men and women, we need to protect all sexes. We consider all sexes to be equal."
Going forward the proposed changes will formally submitted to the National Reform Council in April before being approved by the ruling military political force, the National Council for Peace and Order. The NCPC came to power last May after a violent military coup that killed some 30 people.
