(Bloomberg) -- Thailand is reviving plans to guarantee greater rights for same-sex couples, with a plan to submit a new bill to the country’s parliament in December that could make it the first Southeast Asian nation to legalize marriage equality. 

The new bill, which is set to be considered by the cabinet on Oct. 31, will guarantee marriage equality, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said in Bangkok on Thursday after chairing a meeting about gender and LGBTQ rights. 

“I believe that everyone should be entitled to equal rights, regardless of their gender,” Srettha said in a post on X, adding that other rights-related issues were also being discussed. 

If Srettha’s 11-party coalition approves the bill next week, it will then go through three rounds of reading in parliament, which is set to re-convene in December, according to government spokesman Chai Wacharonke.

The so-called marriage equality bill is set to go further than the previous government’s civil union bill, which sought to recognize same-sex civil partnerships in Thailand that would allow couples to adopt children, jointly manage assets and liabilities, and inherit properties but stopped short of legalizing same-sex marriage registrations. The bill failed to secure parliament nod as it was dissolved by then-Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha to pave way for an election in May. 

READ: How Thailand Is Making Waves on Gay Rights, Legal Pot: QuickTake 

Only two places in Asia — Taiwan and Nepal — currently recognize same-sex marriage, among fewer than 40 countries worldwide. Last week, India’s Supreme Court refused to legalize same-sex marriage, saying it’s an issue for parliament to consider. 

Srettha’s government is also urgently working on potential bills to recognize gender identity and legalize prostitution, the premier said.  

Thailand is also looking to host the WorldPride events in Bangkok in 2028, Srettha said. WorldPride was first held in Rome in 2000 and is usually held every two to three years. 

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