Thailand has been suffering a bit of an image problem. Despite its gay-friendly tourist culture, the Buddhist-majority, conversative country has not always been a welcoming place for its domestic lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBTQ+) communities. But this week Thailand’s tiger – its emblem of strength, courage and determination – turns pink as same sex marriage becomes legal.
Thailand’s marriage equality law came into effect on Wednesday, allowing for same sex couples to tie the knot, and bringing with it an anticipated explosion of the “pink dollar” economy.
Thailand’s tourism chiefs have long targeted LGBTQ+ visitors, and Bangkok is often the only Asian city included on lists of gay-friendly tourist destinations around the world. However, in a country where 95 per cent of Buddhists believe that gay or trans people are suffering from bad karma for committing adultery in past lives, the move to allow same sex couples the same rights as heterosexual couples is monumental.
In addition to steering through the new law, the Thai government hasbid to host World Pride celebrations in 2030. A smart move: a report commissioned by travel company Agoda has valued “rainbow tourism” at $200 billion (€193 billion) worldwide. It estimated that such tourism could deliver an additional four million visitors to Thailand annually within the next two years, bringing in additional yearly revenue of €2 billion.
“Within five hours flying of Thailand there are more than 3.6 billion people who do not have access to marriage equality,” said Agoda executive Timothy Hughes
Various Thai healthcare and tourism bodies are already hoping to cash in, pitching Thailand as a one-stop-shop for tourists wanting “pink plus packages” – both “pink” weddings and gender affirming surgeries. “We are going to introduce a network of resorts that are not only inclusive, but come with different programmes, whether it’s skincare or aesthetics, and are also wedding or honeymoon friendly,” said Dr Wei Siang Yu, a celebrity TV presenter of sexual health shows and founder of healthcare group, Borderless.lgbt.
Thailand Privilege, which is backed by the government and works in tandem with Borderless.lgbt, is hoping to expand on the 60-day tourist visa to allow for pink package services.
On Ko Samui, the country’s most popular island, Dujruedee Thaithumnus has presided over symbolic weddings between same-sex couples for the past 30 years. “I have no doubt ... we’re going to be on the world map as an LGBTQ wedding destination,” said Dujruedee, who charges anywhere between $1,000 and $50,000 for her beach packages.
For Irish-American Sean L’Estrange, marriage equality has been a long time coming. L’Estrange runs Stranger Bar, a popular drag bar in Bangkok with his partner, Chakgai Jermkwan, a former contestant of Drag Race Thailand. He said he found it surprising that Thailand, one of the most gay-friendly countries for foreigners, did not have more laws that support and protect its own LGBTQ+ community.
L’Estrange and Jermkwan are now planning to get hitched in their Bangkok bar. For some of their customers, it might not be as easy.
Transgender people are more visible in Thailand than perhaps in any other country in the world. Yet it was only in 2012 that the Thai defence ministery stopped describing trans people as having “permanent psychological problems”.
L’Estrange has criticised laws for failing to recognise transgender and nonbinary people, who will still not be allowed to amend their gender on official identity documents – something he would like to see changed. “A lot of our drag queens are trans, and a lot of the people that come to visit are trans,” he said. “That would be a nice thing to see.”
In the neighbouring countries flanking Thailand – Brunei, Malaysia and Myanmar – gay sex can still lead to a lengthy prison sentence. Many believe if Thailand can legitimise its image of tolerance and attractiveness as a liberal holiday destination for foreigners, other southeast Asian countries might move to amend their own laws.
Nikki Phinyapincha is a transwoman entrepreneur and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion campaigner in Bangkok who thinks the determination will pay off. “I believe Thailand can become the first pink tiger nation,” she said. “A global equality destination.”
Back in the capital, things are already warming up. Bangkok Pride’s co-founder Ann Chumaporn is arranging a mass same sex wedding event on Thursday – the first day that marriage registrations can be filed.
In the Land of Smiles, the pink tiger is about to roar.
- Sign up for push alerts and have the best news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone
- Find The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date
- Our In The News podcast is now published daily – Find the latest episode here
