Why Bangkok’s Pride Celebrations Are Attracting LGBTQIA+ Travelers Around the World

Bangkok was hot for its pride festival. The humid wind meant that makeup ran, clothing clung to dampened skin, and the large crowds didn’t find much relief in the shade. But it didn’t slow down the exuberance. From marching bands and floats, flags, and signs, the Bangkok Pride Festival was a party from beginning to end. 

In the crowd, amongst hundreds of thousands of Thai citizens, there were also attendees from all over the world. One young man, Bo Han, attended the festival for the first time after living in Thailand for three years. “I’m originally from Myanmar,” he told Travel + Leisure. “My country is very traditional, conservative. Here it is very open, and I feel like myself here.”

This year’s Bangkok Pride Festival had about 300,000 guests, an increase from 250,000 attendees in 2024. By comparison, the world’s largest pride festivals, including in São Paulo, New York, Toronto, and Madrid, all have over one million attendees. So Bangkok isn’t home to the largest celebration in the world, but it might be the biggest in Asia, outpacing Taiwan’s record of 180,000 attendees in 2024. 

“This surge in attendance highlights Bangkok’s rising status as a leading LGBTQIA+ destination in Asia,” Chompu Marusachot, the director of Tourism Authority of Thailand’s New York office. “Government support has played a key role, with the Thai administration integrating Pride Month into its national tourism strategy. These efforts are part of Thailand’s broader goal of positioning itself as a global hub for LGBTQIA+ travel and a future host of World Pride in 2030.”

This commitment is helping draw attendees from across the continent. But it is not just people from other Asian countries who are coming to Thailand for the big celebration and welcoming environment. Syd and Jamie, an American couple in their 20s, moved to Bangkok in May. After a wave of anti-LGTBTQIA policies were introduced and passed, both women were feeling less welcome in the country.  “America is dangerous,” Syd said, standing on one of the giant Pride flags rolled out in the plaza where the parade ended. “At least, that’s one of the reasons for me.”

They were eager to join the lesbian scene in the city, which is how they found out about the Pride Festival—it had been posted on the Les Hi Bar Instagram account, one of the most popular lesbian bars in Bangkok. The internet is generally helping to push Pride events to broader audiences in the country. Overall, the U.S. market is most engaged with GoThaiBeFree.com, a LGBTQIA+ travel planning site, accounting for 26 percent of the site traffic, while visitors from China, Germany, and the United Kingdom each account for about 10 percent of the traffic. 

For locals, the growth in international popularity of Bangkok Pride has been a net-positive. Zymone, a trans woman born and raised in Bangkok, is a singer, performer, and contestant of season five of The Voice Thailand. She has seen an increasing amount of cultural acceptance and celebration over time, both within Thailand and from tourists. 

Zymone hosts a drag show at Lost & Found, a speakeasy with a diverse clientele ranging from a mix of tourists wandering in from the hotel and locals looking to enjoy the steampunk design and craft cocktails. In the past, celebrations might have been exclusively attended by people in the LGBTQIA+ community, the festivities now draw in more straight allies as well. That can be seen during the shows at Lost & Found: according to Zymone, a recent crowd included a mother and son, a straight couple from the UK, and a straight couple from France. 

“Some of them are not gay, but they show up to support and have fun,” Zymone said. “We are art. Every year it’s bigger and bigger, it’s not just a place to come out and say ‘we are a couple,’ we come out as art … when people come for Pride Month, it actually makes it more special. The world is better when we are actually showing people who we are.”

Thailand’s LGBTQIA+ centered offerings aren’t just contained to one city: Pride events are held in every region of the country throughout June. From a film festival in Krabi to parades in Phuket and Pattaya, you’re bound to a few celebrations no matter where you go in the country.

Even before the law was officially changed on Jan. 23, 2025 to finally allow LGBTQIA+ couples to legally marry, Thailand has been a popular destination for LGBTQIA+ travelers. This year, Phuket is one of the top locations according to an Expedia survey. 

The international reputation for Thailand being ultra-welcoming and accepting hasn’t happened by accident. There’s been a concerted push from the government and tourism board to message these developments to the global public. LGBTQIA+ travel is projected to bring the country an anticipated four million additional tourists each year, $2 billion in generated revenue, 152,000 full-time jobs, and a 0.3 percent increase in Thailand’s GDP, according to the tourism authority. 

“Anecdotal insights from hotel and private sector partners suggest a significant increase in LGBTQIA+ travelers attending events throughout the year, underscoring that Pride celebrations nationwide are a strong driver of tourism,” Marusachot said. “The legalization of same-sex marriage in Thailand, effective January 2025, is expected to strengthen further the country’s appeal as an LGBTQIA+ travel destination.” 

Going forward, there will only be a bigger push to bring more LGBTQIA+ travelers to the country with more programming that will “reinforce the country’s reputation as a welcoming, inclusive destination,” said Marusachot. “Thailand has long positioned itself as a place that celebrates people for who they are, how they identify, and who they love.” 

Zymone, who performs at festivals and MCs events across Bangkok, is hoping the increased popularity—and investment from the government and the public sector—will result in year-round celebrations of the LGBTQIA+ community. 

“After this, it’s not going to be just Pride Month,” she says. “It’s going to be every month, and everybody can hang out.”