The government is ready to promote gender equality as it expects Pride Month activities to help boost the economy.
Deputy government spokeswoman Kenika Ounjit said the push for gender equality was first announced before parliament by Prime Minister Srettha as he took office.
"The government wants to make sure society is open to diversity and equality in terms of age, gender, religion and social status and welcomes tourists from all over the world, [with Thailand] as a major Pride destination," she said.
Citing information from the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Ms Kenika said Pride Month activities are likely to attract 860,000 visitors and bring at least 10 billion baht to the economy.
The TAT and members of the private sector are organising Pride-related activities in many provinces this month, including the Colourful Pride Festival in Chiang Mai province from May 25 to June 30 and other parades and concerts.
Koh Samui in Surat Thani province will also host the Pride Nation Samui International Festival from June 24 to 29, featuring both Thai and foreign artists who are LGBTQ+.
On Friday, Mr Srettha presided over the opening of Bangkok's Pride Festival 2024 at Siam Paragon, which will run until Tuesday.
He said Thailand's landmark marriage equality bill is expected to be enacted soon, making Thailand one of the first in Asia to fully endorse equal rights. The move will bolster Thailand's image as a friendly country for all travellers, he said.
"The government will not just stop at the equality bill," he said. "We will also push for a gender recognition bill and measures to help sex workers, among others."
The gender bill he was referring to aims to add a gender-neutral option for those who do not identify as male or female on official documents.
"We also hope that Thailand will be given a chance to host WordPride events in 2030," he said.
Chai Wacharonke, a government spokesman, earlier said the government is wooing LGBTQ+ people because they have high purchasing power, love to travel and tend to stay longer in the country than other visitor groups.
Meanwhile, the Phuket Patong municipality said on Saturday that it will work with Andaman Power Phuket Group to organise a Phuket Pride parade on June 9th. The event will begin at 5pm at Thaweewong Road, Patong Beach, and be open to everyone.
