With Marriage Equality now Legal, Is Thailand even More Enticing?

We are still fondly reminiscing about our recent trip to Thailand. The food, culture, people, nature, weather… they’re all married together to provide the LGBTQ visitor experiences to remember forever. And Thailand is in the news even more today in a very good and gay way.

Thailand was already a great place to visit, a safe place to be yourself. With more than 90% of Thais following Buddhist beliefs (which do not forbid LGBTQ lifestyles), the people of this Southeast Asian nation and their hospitality magnify all the beautiful aspects of this tourist destination and we are all welcome, will be welcomed, and will be forever changed.

The King of Thailand Approves

Thailand has been a leader in Southeast Asia in the movement for marriage equality. When we were there in September, 2024, the king’s signature legalized same-sex marriage.

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Marriage equality became law, but it was not until this week that marriages could begin. Thailand made history on January 23, becoming the first Southeast Asian country to legalize same-sex unions. Over 1,000 LGBTQ couples are expected to register their marriages in a single day, with Bangkok Pride aiming to set a Guinness World Record for the largest number of same-sex marriage registrations.

The caption translates to:
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23 January 2568 the day that all Thai people’s love is legalized ❤ Many couples may have gone through many tests due to not being legalized, but today all love is legalized. May all love bloom, grow beautifully in every inch of this Thailand that embraces all diversity. To all love ❤ #สมรสเท่าเทียม

Gay Marriage Legalized in Thailand: See Which Popular Actors Just Tied the Knot

But it was not a quick and easy road to make it to this point…

Pride Beginnings

The first Pride March in Thailand took place 25 years ago. The first big celebration for the community in Thailand was held on Halloween weekend in 1999 and was called the “Bangkok Gay Festival.” It was organized by Pakorn Pimton, who said that after seeing Pride parades on his overseas travels, he wanted Thailand to have one, too. Back then it was hard to get approval from the police and the government. Some say the first march was chaotic and unfocused.

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Pride parades continued to occur but not every year. But public and professional support was hard to earn. In 2001, homosexuality was still officially described by the Thai Ministry of Health as a mental illness. Between 2006 and 2022, only two marches took place and they all were not smooth events. In 2009 ,one planned Pride march in Chiang Mai had to be abandoned because of the threat of violence.

The Gays Can Entertain

One place where LGBTQ individuals gained respect was in front of the camera. LGBTQ characters began to be portrayed in Thai TV dramas, more and more, from comical characters to lead roles, made a big difference. And these are characters that people would know in real life, making the stories applicable, palpable, relatable. Maybe these characters would be like the kind of LGBTQ coworkers one would have, or a neighbor.

And then there was Boy Love. BL for short, these are shows about boys in love. Here are some of the posts we’ve shared in the past about Boy Love shows:

Boys Like Boys – Taiwan’s Big, Gay Dating Show!

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EXCITING: How These 2 Thai BL Stars Turned From Friends to Lovers

Gay Shows That Are a Must-Watch to Give You All the FEELS

Boy Love dramas brought the rest of society from just tolerating LGBTQ members of society and maybe recognizing some of them may be already in their own lives, but expanded that tolerance toward acceptance and seeing them as equals.

Pandemic Boost

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The popularity of BL shows magnified over the past 10 years, especially during COVID, and have become one of Thailand’s most successful cultural exports to not just nations like China Japan, Taiwan, with many other Eastern Asian nations following suit and making their own BL shows.

Post COVID, Pride marches started again in 2022. This was a big draw for LGBTQ tourists and showed the government that queer travelers found Thailand appealing, exciting, inviting, and safe.

Tourism is one of the best growth environments for Thailand post-COVID and they are seeing some of the best demographic upticks with the LGBTQ market.

But it is not only tourism. Growing numbers of same-sex couples from other Asian countries are choosing to not just travel to Thailand, but they are looking to move there, too.

Pack Your Bags

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We would definitely go to Thailand again and we’ll share more stories in the future about our travels to this magical nation. 

Our takeaways and suggestions for travelers to Thailand are:

  • Exchange your money at the Thai airport – most information say this is the best place to find the best rate.
  • Wear loose fitting clothes – Thailand is hot year round so wear comfortable clothes that will let you air our. 
  • Relax, take your time – let the politeness of the nation and its people rub off on you.
  • Get a Thai massage – for the money and the results, you will be happy. 
  • Hospitality is amazing, but definitely tip – your money goes a long way, and the care they give you is worth tipping and showing your appreciation. 
  • Spend the money to be comfortable on your flights – the flights are long so just put yourself in the best seat for you. One of our flights to get from the US to Thailand was 16 hours with a 3-hour flight before and after. 
  • Shop for those souvenirs – once again, your money goes a long way and the quality of items is great there. And buy a pair of elephant pants.
  • Visit an elephant sanctuary – do your research and find a place that takes care of the elephants and not just take your money. (we’ll share more in another post)
  • Go to several temples – every temple is different so go to the 300 year old ones and the ones still being built. There are thousands of them so go to a variety. 
  • Be yourself – we did not worry once about being gay, what environment we were in, who was around us. 

With marriage equality being the law, you don’t have to go to Thailand to get married, but you could. Just go and experience this amazing nation.

We owe our readers two more travel posts on Thailand, but here is the one we have for you currently. 

Karst Mountains, Pristine Beaches, Fresh Cuisine - Thailand Inspires
Karst Mountains, Pristine Beaches, Fresh Cuisine – Thailand Inspires

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