So what’s the big secret about Thailand? Why is it so attractive to so many right now?
Instinct had the opportunity to sit down with representatives from the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and discuss more about why Thailand is the “it” place right now when it comes to international tourism and travel and why truthfully it has been the place to visit for quite some time.
We already knew Thailand is an amazing destination. As recent as this past September 2025, Instinct was there for 9 magnificent exploratory days and cannot wait to go back. Check out one of our Thailand posts – Karst Mountains, Pristine Beaches, Fresh Cuisine – Thailand Inspires.
Meeting up with TAT, we were so excited to have our own bank of personal knowledge about Thailand and travel experiences to go with what we were discussing with the people that know the nation so well.
Here’s a summation of some of the things we discussed with our time at the Four Seasons in Fort Lauderdale.
Entertainment Industry and Thailand
Of course, the recent blossoming of attention toward Thailand can be heavily attributed to The White Lotus as season 3 of the HBO hit series takes place there. We asked the obvious question, “How did Thailand get The White Lotus to film there?”
What we learned was that Thailand has been a destination for the film industry for decades, well over a century actually. It was shared with us that when one movie was being shot there in the early 1920s, the King of Thailand at the time offered his motorcade of cars to the film company to use while they were in his country. Some movies like The Beach comes to mind and there’s also James Bond Island in Thailand, so named from scenes in the 1974 James Bond movie The Man with the Golden Gun where the stunning limestone cliffs in Phang Nga Bay were an essential part of the film.
Concessions, tax incentives to draw the film industry to use their locale, they occur all the time. US cities, US states, and yes, Thailand, too. The southeast Asian nation negotiated to get The White Lotus filmed there, but this was not a unique situation. While HBO filmed its season 3, the newest installment of the Jurassic Park/World movie was being shot there, too. Other destinations were being considered for The White Lotus, Japan for one, but Thailand had resorts that were more aligned with the White Lotus aesthetic.
Queer Tourism and Marriage
Knowing there would not be a specific answer, I still asked if there had been a recent increase in queer tourism to Thailand, a hard number to measure I am sure. The catalyst for me to ask such a question was for when we were in Thailand, the King signed a resolution (on September 24, 2025) that marriage equality was to be the law of the land, and same-sex marriages would legally start on January 23, 2025.
Thailand has always been a destination for the LGBTQ+ crowd, but TAT has noticed an uptick with travel advisors focusing on LGBTQ+ tourism in Thailand. And even the ones that historically help LGBTQ+ travelers, they’ve increased their bookings three to four times as much already.
But the gay traveler is a sleuthy kind of feller, so hard to track. Kidding, but the TAT did mention that Thailand’s Immigration System (like in most nations) are not built to track the queer vacationer. It’s not something you check off on your entry documents. They do keep track of two genders, all legal documents in Thailand reflect just still two genders.
Queer Marketing
The New York City TAT office was the branch in the company that expanded upon the idea of marketing to the LGBTQ+ traveler and it has paid off.
Hotels in Thailand are reaching out to get the gay vacationer, making it part of their marketing initiatives, promoting the acceptance of our community in their nation. One good measure of this success, the increase of gay tourism is that the circuit festival event Songkran Festival, that occurs in Thailand during the Thai new year, it’s always increasing in size.
Why So Accepting?
The “Number 1” things that people say about a city or a nation after they visit vary from… oh, you’ll love the food, the natural beauty, the men, the wine, the clothes, the history. All those are top notch for Thailand, too, but THE accolade that Thailand has that EVERYONE mentions, something that Thailand as a nation and its people set the benchmark for, it is hospitality.
The kindness and hospitality of the Thai people is the first thing that travelers have at the top of their list for why Thailand is so great. One of the TAT representatives reminded me that many feel Thailand is such a warm, and welcoming nation, why its people are truly just so hospitable is that Thailand has never been colonized. There has been no bias introduced into their culture. There’s been no clouding of humanity. All are welcome and all are accepted, they want to show their appreciation to the outsiders for choosing to come and visit.
When we were in Thailand, we talked to several hotel managers and one thing that resonated was that they do not have to work on teaching about hospitality. It is just there in the culture, in the people, in their every day living.
Everybody is equal. They believe that. There is a Thai saying, “Mai pen rai” which means “What will be will be.”
And this is why our community has been going to Thailand for years, well before marriage equality, well before HBO or James Bond. Homosexuality has never been an issue, never been frowned upon. Come and be you.
What About Thai LGBTQ+?
Marriage Equality was a great big first step. We covered the history of this fight in How Same-Sex Marriage in Thailand was helped by Boy Love and Buddhism.
There will be other steps to follow. As mentioned, the Thai government documents still just have two genders. Maybe an addition to the passport is next? Queer adults at this time cannot adopt legally, maybe that will be next, too?
Lady Boys, I went there in the interview, I talked about the lady boys of Thailand, the transgender scene, the drag scene. And in doing so, I learned of a new-to-me term – soft power. The Lady Boy culture is the soft power of Thailand. Thailand has many “known-for” entities that bring in tourism, that drive the industries, that help shape culture. Food, Festivals, Fashion, Martial Arts Fighting, and Lady Boys. All have a power and a presence that is measurable and Lady Boys have that soft and unspoken power to affect the nation.
I mentioned Lady Boys and the Boy Love entertainment/television show/movies that have helped to mold and increase LGBTQ+ acceptance even more in Thailand, something we all agreed most likely helped marriage equality be more widely accepted and passed when it came up for vote.
TAT representatives also stated that Pride month is more visible now.
We also talked about that even though Thai’s cannot adopt if they are not straight, queer travelers that bring along their children are very respected, almost to the point of being spoiled, one representative said. They just get it, we are all humans.
More in Love with Thailand
After my fun get together with TAT, I was ready to go back to Thailand even more. The White Lotus season 3 has not been viewed in my home yet. I am sure it is giving Thailand a great spotlight, but I don’t need it.
The hospitality of Thailand was also present that night when I sat down with the TAT here at the Four Seasons in the US. Only one out of the 7 new wonderful people I met was not Thai. I was honest with them that when I sat down, I did not know it was to be a 1-on-4 interview as I had only prepared two (2) questions as I thought it would be a panel discussion. Since I had gone to Thailand, I had a lot to say to them, to ask them, to want to know from them. We went on for 40 minutes, before we continued our conversations over drinks and dinner.
If you are contemplating a trip to Thailand, stop thinking and start planning. You will not find a more beautiful, magic place with amazing people and hospitality.