MARCHING WITH PRIDE

With the return of our LGBTI column which will appear on the last Monday of each month, here's a salute to Pride Month

- STORY: THANA BOONLERT

In the wake of this year's historic victory for marriage equality, campaigners are preparing festive events for Pride Month, reinforcing Thailand's ambition to become the world's most LGBTI-friendly destination.

Rainbow flags are lighting up the heart of Bangkok and spreading to other parts of the country throughout June. Inspired by the 1969 Stonewall Riots — a catalyst for the modern gay rights movement — Pride Month in Thailand first emerged in the context of the HIV crisis in the 1980s. Since then, it has seen both highs and lows, before resurging in 2022.

BANGKOK PRIDE FESTIVAL

Held under the theme “Born This Way”, Bangkok Pride Festival 2025 is set to take over Rama I Road from May 30 to June 1, with a 200m-long rainbow flag stretching from the National Stadium to Ratchaprasong Intersection — a first in Thailand's history.

The three-day event brings together Naruemit Pride, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and a broad coalition of civil society, government bodies and the private sector.

"2025 is a historic year for Thailand's LGBTI community, with the enactment of the Marriage Equality Bill. But this is only the beginning. The next frontier is full legal gender recognition," said Ann Chumaporn, also known as Waaddao, chair and co-founder of Naruemit Pride, which was established to organise Bangkok Pride.