American transwoman marries Thai woman, fuelling hopes for future of same sex marriage (video)

Photo by Wave Make Up via ThaiRath

In a heartwarming story that transcended stereotypes, an American transwoman married her Thai partner in Thailand on Sunday, June 4. They hope their same-sex union will be accepted in the country.

The touching tale gained widespread attention after a popular Thai makeup artist, known as Wave Make Up on TikTok, shared videos of the couple, introducing them to the online community. Each video swiftly garnered over 5,000 likes from enthusiastic Thai TikTokers.

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Captured in the videos, the couple is adorned in exquisite traditional Thai bridal attire. The 64 year old American transwoman, Dani, radiated elegance in a stunning pink dress, while her 46 year old Thai partner, Chalalai, exuded charm in a vibrant red ensemble.

Congratulations and well wishes poured in from netizens, who were moved by their story. Many were curious to delve deeper into the couple’s remarkable journey, prompting ThaiRath to interview them and shed light on their unique love story.

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Chalalai shared that she first encountered Dani at a friend’s birthday celebration. Initially, she felt no particular attraction towards Dani, as she had never before been drawn to individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community or those of the same gender.

Recalling their journey, Chalalai revealed that Dani embraced her true identity as a woman, undergoing hormonal treatment and legally changing her gender identification to female. Prior to their relationship, Dani had been married to a woman and together they had a child. She possessed a successful career as an engineer and even owned her own company. However, she found that despite her achievements, true happiness eluded her, leading to their divorce.

Chalalai continued her narrative, disclosing that Dani made her intentions clear through their mutual friend. Although her friend cautioned Dani against harbouring high hopes, citing Chalalai’s lack of experience with transwomen due to her previous marriage to a man, fate had different plans in store for the couple.

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According to Chalalai, Dani did not give up. She visited Chalalai at her restaurant in Hua Hin even though she worked in Bangkok. Chalalai said…

“Dani opened up to me, but I initially rejected her advances. She then asked to be friends, and after getting to know each other for around 10 months, we embarked on a journey to Cambodia together. It was during this time that Dani proposed to me, but I hesitated at first. However, as she continued to care for me, my feelings for her grew, and I eventually agreed to become her girlfriend. We have now been together for a year and recently celebrated our marriage.”

Chalalai disclosed that she did not care about gender or money. She focused only on the love and care that Dani had for her. Dani told her that she did not fancy a man. She loved to take care of herself and loved fashion, so having her as a partner was like having a close friend who could share clothes, cosmetics, and other interests.

Chalalai also mentioned the same-sex marriage law in Thailand. She said…

“At first, I did not care about marriage equality or the same-sex marriage law in Thailand, but now I think the law will be effective soon. Nowadays, every gender is equal. The most important thing is the understanding from family and friends. It is not about gender anymore.”

The same-sex marriage law is part of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Move Forward Party (MFP) and eight other political parties that agreed to form the government together. The Policy Campaign Manager of MFP, Parit Wacharasindhu, gave an interview with the media during the Pride Parade in Bangkok that the MFP aimed to pass the law within 100 days after the government formation.

Parit enthusiastically shared his hopes that, if the law is successfully enacted, LGBTQIA+ couples will be able to sign marriage certificates during the following year’s Pride Month.

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Petch Petpailin

Petpailin, or Petch, is a Thai translator and writer for The Thaiger who focuses on translating breakingThai news stories into English. With a background in field journalism, Petch brings several years of experience to the English News desk at The Thaiger. Before joining The Thaiger, Petch worked as a content writer for several known blogging sites in Bangkok, including Happio and The Smart Local. Her articles have been syndicated by many big publishers in Thailand and internationally, including the Daily Mail, The Sun and the Bangkok Post. She is a news writer who stops reading news on the weekends to spend more time cafe hopping and petting dwarf shrimp! But during office hours, you can find Petch on LinkedIn and you can reach her by email at petch@thethaiger.com.

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