The House of Representatives has voted down a proposal by the Future Forward Party (FFP) to set up a house committee on gender diversity. The vote was 365 against and 101 in favour, with three abstentions.
Nathiphat Kunsetthasit and Tanwarin Sukkhapisit, the FFP party-list MPs who proposed the motion, later told reporter this was just "the beginning" of the FFP's fight to raise public awareness of the rights of people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT).
Of the 101 votes in favour of the proposal, 70 were cast by FFP MPs, which Ms Tanwarin took as a sign of the party's success in persuading MPs from other parties to support the motion.
"Prior to the vote, the FFP held discussions with other parties which also promised to protect the rights of the LGBT community in their election campaign," she said.
That said, Ms Tanwarin admitted that he had expected a higher number of votes.
"The main purpose of pushing for the establishment of the gender diversity committee is to promote better understanding on the issue," she said.
"Although we didn't succeed this time, this is the start of the a new chapter in Thailand's political and parliamentary history."
Ms Tanwarin said the FFP will push for the establishment of a House subcommittee to oversee the promotion of gender diversity.
The party would also push for an amendment of Section 1448 of the Civil and Commercial Code, which currently recognises marriage only between a man and a woman, she said.
“I believe it is in the public's interest to fight to protect the rights of people with different sexual orientation,” said Ms Tanwarin.
- Earlier report: Future Forward pushes LGBT panel