Thailand will launch a bid to become the first country in Asia to host the next InterPride World Conference, which will be held next year.
Harisuda Boonyawat, the director of the Mega Events and Festival Department under the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) said Thailand will put in a request to host the 2025 InterPride World Conference, an annual gathering of Pride organisers from across the globe to discuss the state of LGBTQ+ movements and exchange their experiences in achieving gender equality.
The conference has been held 41 times since 1982, mostly in Europe and North America, but never in Asia.
The five-day conference is expected to attract 600 Pride organisations from 40 countries, which will generate up to 1.1 billion baht in revenue for the country, she said. This year's conference will be hosted in Medellin, Colombia between Oct 23–27.
Thailand will send representatives to show that the country is ready to host the conference next year and show the international community how Thailand plans to promote gender equality, she said. In addition, if Thailand is selected to host the event, it will show the country is ready to host bigger Pride events like the World Pride 2030. The TCEB plans to submit a bid for the right to host the 2030 event, she added.