In the 2019 election which returned Thailand to civilian rule after five years under a military government, a new reformist party called Future Forward, which fully supported equal marriage, did unexpectedly well. They won the third-largest share of seats, revealing a growing hunger for change in Thailand.

“Equal marriage has truly become possible with the power of all,” said former Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, who was on hand for the mass wedding and was premier when the landmark legislation passed last year. 1,832 couples across the country registered marriages under the new law Thursday, according to the Thai Interior Ministry.