Cheers erupt as Nyan and Mae, a queer couple from Myanmar, tie the knot in front of thousands at the annual Pride parade in the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai. Denied the chance to celebrate their union in their homeland, where LGBTQ people face persecution and imprisonment, the couple sought peace and happiness in the more tolerant kingdom next door. The late night ceremony on Sunday was only symbolic, but the Thai parliament is expected to finalise same-sex marriage legislation later this year, perhaps as soon as October. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES ARRANGED IN SEQUENCES