Thailand's Is Taking LGBT Tourists Very Seriously
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| Bangkok's annual Pride parade took place on June 4, drawing thousands of participants from around the world. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi) |
The Thai economy grew 2.7% in the first quarter of 2023 from a year earlier, and the central bank expects it to expand 3.6% for the whole year. Authorities say the tourism sector, which accounted for about 20% of the economy before the pandemic, will play an essential role.
LGBT tourists spend an estimated $200 billion worldwide a year, according to research conducted by Out Now Consulting, an agency that provides gay marketing services to big companies.
This prospective gold mine has encouraged the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to hone its LGBT marketing strategy, which includes holding roadshows targeting LGBT communities in Europe, Asia, and the U.S.
Thailand has long been a destination for LGBT tourists, but it is only recently that the tourism authority started promotions targeting LGBT groups.
This year, the tourism authority is sponsoring Pride events in more areas, such as Phuket and Pattaya, in addition to Bangkok. Thailand is celebrating Pride Month throughout June with parades, concerts, and other LGBT events, with thousands of people from around the world taking part in a Bangkok Pride parade on June 4.
The foreign tourists did not come just for the parade. According to TAT research, many were long-haul travelers who often spend days at destinations holding events they want to attend. "The TAT has realized the importance of [LGBT] groups and will continue to do research to serve their demand," a TAT official said.
Thailand has long attracted wealthy medical tourists due to its high medical standards and competitive prices. Now the country's medical sector is working to attract LGBT medical tourists from Asia and elsewhere.
Bangkok's Bumrungrad International Hospital, one of Thailand's leading hospitals, in 2021 opened a Pride Clinic that offers integrated medical and wellness services to the LGBT community, ranging from hormone treatment to gender-affirming treatment.
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A couple takes a selfie during Bangkok's Pride parade on June 4. Foreign tourists who come to Bangkok for the parade stay for days. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Currently, around 70% of the clinic's clients are Thais, Napas Paorohitya, Bumrungrad's chief marketing officer, told Nikkei Asia. She said foreign clients come from the U.S., Canada, Bangladesh, Australia, China, Vietnam and Singapore.
The clinic promotes its services in Asia, particularly in Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and China, "our strategic markets with strong spending power," Napas said.
One LGBT respondent in a TAT research project said medical services geared toward the community help Thailand project a welcoming image.
"Thailand is well-known for being at the forefront of surgery that allows people to change their sex," the respondent said. "That says a lot about its open-mindedness."
The International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery estimates Thailand's cosmetic and gender-affirming treatment industry to be worth an annual 36 billion baht, a figure the society expects to grow by 15% to 20% a year.
Meanwhile, Thailand plans to capitalize more on its LGBT-related soft power. The country has emerged as Asia's biggest creator of "boys love" dramas. Last year, exports of these gay romance series and movies exceeded 1.5 billion baht.
Earlier this year, the Ministry of Commerce held a business-matching event in Bangkok so Thai producers of boys love content could meet and talk with importers from Japan, South Korea, and China. The fair generated 158 business partnerships that are expected to lead to more than 3.6 billion baht in exports of LGBT-themed content, according to Ratchada Thanadirek, a deputy spokeswoman for the government.
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Bangkok Pride parade participants strike a pose on June 4. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
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